The Ogun State Government is yet to approve the proposed relocation of Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifier against Senegal to Abeokuta, despite an announcement by the Nigeria Football Federation that the match will be staged at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex, The PUNCH reports.
A senior state government official, who requested anonymity, confirmed to The PUNCH that the decision remains subject to the approval of the state government.
“Yes, we can confirm that the Nigeria Football Federation has requested that the match be moved here in Abeokuta, but the decision has not been made by the state government yet,” the official said.
“The Governor, Dapo Abiodun, is yet to be formally briefed on the request, and the final decision will depend on his approval.”
“This is a positive development for Ogun State. Having previously hosted the Super Falcons and with the governor’s full support on that occasion, coupled with the quality of our facilities, it is not surprising that an offer of this nature has been extended.”
The NFF announced on Friday that CAF had approved its request for a change of venue for the third round, first leg qualifier for the match, scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2026.
The federation’s director of competitions, Ruth David, stated that the fixture would be played at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta, following concerns over the deteriorating condition of the playing surface at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, which had originally been approved for the match.
The Ibadan venue previously hosted the Falconets’ second round qualifier against Rwanda in September 2024.
With the proposed switch, the Nigerian team, which had been preparing in Ibadan, is expected to relocate to Abeokuta to familiarise themselves with the turf, should state approval be granted.
Nigeria reached the third round of the African qualifying series after defeating Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate. The winner of the tie between Nigeria and Senegal will advance to the final round of qualification, where they will face either Guinea-Bissau or Malawi for a place at the tournament scheduled to hold in Poland from September 5 to 27, 2026.
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