The Nigeria Football Federation’s plan to move the Falconets’ 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifier against Senegal to Abeokuta is still pending approval from the Ogun State Government.
Despite the NFF announcing the MKO Abiola Sports Complex as the new venue, a high-ranking state official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the government has not yet finalized the decision.
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“We can confirm that the Nigeria Football Federation has requested to move the match here to Abeokuta, but the state government has not yet made a decision,” the official told the Punch.
He added, “Governor Dapo Abiodun has yet to be formally briefed on the request, and his approval is required for the final decision.”
The official viewed the proposal positively, adding, “This is a positive development for Ogun State. It’s not surprising that an offer like this has been made, considering we previously hosted the Super Falcons with the governor’s full support, and given the quality of our facilities.”
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The NFF had announced on Friday that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had approved its request to change the venue for the third-round, first-leg qualifier, scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2026.
According to Ruth David, the NFF’s Director of Competitions, the move to the MKO Abiola Sports Complex was prompted by concerns over the poor condition of the playing surface at the originally slated Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.
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The Ibadan stadium had hosted the Falconets’ second-round qualifier against Rwanda in September 2024.
Should the Ogun State government grant approval, the Nigerian team, currently training in Ibadan, will relocate to Abeokuta to acclimate to the new turf.
Nigeria advanced to this stage of the African qualifiers after a dominant 5-0 aggregate victory over Rwanda.
The winner of the two-legged tie against Senegal will proceed to the final qualification round, facing either Guinea-Bissau or Malawi for a spot in the 2026 tournament in Poland.
