Five Days To Kickoff, Falconets Stranded In Ibadan As Abeokuta Venue Awaits State Clearance

Five Days To Kickoff, Falconets Stranded In Ibadan As Abeokuta Venue Awaits State Clearance

By Niyi Busari 

With just five days to the kick-off of Nigeria’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying fixture against Senegal, the Falconets remain in Ibadan amid uncertainty over the approved venue for the match.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced on Friday that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had granted approval for a change of venue for the third-round, first-leg qualifier scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2026. The match was moved from the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan to the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta due to concerns over the deteriorating condition of the Ibadan pitch.

NFF Director of Competitions, Ruth David, confirmed that the Abeokuta facility would host the encounter, noting that the decision followed an inspection of the playing surface at the Lekan Salami Stadium, which had earlier staged Nigeria’s second-round qualifier against Rwanda in September 2024.

However, despite the federation’s announcement and CAF’s approval, the Ogun State Government is yet to give final clearance for the match to be played at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex.

As a result, the Falconets, who have been camped in Ibadan in preparation for the fixture, have been unable to relocate to Abeokuta to acclimatise to the new playing surface.

A senior Ogun State Government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Punch newspaper that the request from the NFF is still awaiting official approval.

“Yes, we can confirm that the Nigeria Football Federation has requested that the match be moved here to Abeokuta, but the decision has not been made by the state government yet,” the official told The PUNCH.

“The governor, Dapo Abiodun, is yet to be formally briefed on the request, and the final decision will depend on his approval.”

The official described the request as a positive development for the state, pointing to Ogun’s previous experience hosting the Super Falcons and the quality of its sporting facilities.

Nigeria advanced to the third round of the African qualifiers after defeating Rwanda 5–0 on aggregate. The winner of the tie between Nigeria and Senegal will progress to the final round, where they will face either Guinea-Bissau or Malawi for a place at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to be held in Poland from September 5 to 27, 2026.