The location of the 2024 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup final qualifying round, first leg match between Nigeria’s Falconets and Burundi has been shifted from Bujumbura in Burundi to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
FIFA deemed the pitch in Bujumbura unfit to host the crucial game.
The expansion of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup to a 24-team tournament, with two additional slots for Africa, makes the fixture between Nigeria and Burundi the final qualifying round. The winner over two legs will secure a coveted spot in the tournament set to take place in Colombia.
The match will now be played at the Azam Stadium Complex in Dar es Salaam, the same venue where the Falconets played a 1-1 draw against Tanzania in the previous round before securing a 2-1 victory in Abuja.
South African official Nonjabulo Nonhle Ndlela has been appointed as the referee for the first leg scheduled for Sunday, 14th January 2024, with compatriots Maneo Evodia Tau and Nandipha Menze serving as first and second assistant referees. Nteboheleng Theresia Setoko from Lesotho will be the fourth official.
The return leg at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on Saturday, 20th January 2024, will be officiated by Tunisian referee Asma Chouchane, assisted by Houda Afine, Nesrine Ouertatani, and Emna Ajbouni. Christine Ziga from Ghana and Fadouma Dia from Senegal will serve as commissioner and referee assessor, respectively.
All 25 Falconets players invited by Head Coach Chris Musa Danjuma for the fixture are expected to arrive in Abuja tomorrow, Wednesday, 27th December 2023, with training sessions commencing the following day in preparation for the crucial first leg match.
