The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) request to change the venue for the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup third-round qualifying match between Nigeria and Senegal.
The first-leg fixture, scheduled for February 7, will now take place at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NFF Director of Competitions, Ruth David, confirmed the development in a statement issued to journalists on Friday in Abuja.
David explained that the venue was moved due to the poor condition of the pitch at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, which was initially approved to host the match.
She noted that the Ibadan stadium had previously hosted the Falconets’ second-round, second-leg encounter against Rwanda in September 2025.
Following the approval, the Falconets, who have been training in Ibadan, are expected to relocate to Abeokuta in the coming days to acclimatise to the new playing surface.
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Nigeria, two-time FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup silver medallists, advanced to the third round after defeating Rwanda 5–0 on aggregate.
The winner of the tie between Nigeria and Senegal will progress to the final round of the African qualifiers, where they will face the winners of the match between Guinea-Bissau and Malawi for a place at the tournament.
The 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup will be held in Poland from September 5 to September 27.
NAN reports that the return leg of the fixture is scheduled for February 14 in Dakar, Senegal.