The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved a request by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for a change of venue for the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup third-round qualifying match between Nigeria and Senegal.

The first-leg encounter, scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2026, will now be played at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta, Ogun State, instead of the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.

NFF Director of Competitions, Ruth David, confirmed the development, explaining that the request was necessitated by the deteriorating condition of the pitch at the Lekan Salami Stadium, which had earlier been approved to host the fixture.

“The playing surface has deteriorated,” David said, noting that the Ibadan venue had also staged the Falconets’ second-round, second-leg qualifier against Rwanda in September last year.

Following the venue change, Nigeria’s U20 women’s team, the Falconets, who have been camping and training in Ibadan, are expected to relocate to Abeokuta in the coming days to acclimatise to the turf at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex ahead of the crucial qualifier.

The Falconets, two-time FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup silver medallists, booked their place in the third round after overpowering Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate in the previous round of the African qualifying series.

The Nigeria–Senegal tie is a key step in the race for a place at the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup. The winner over two legs will advance to the final round of African qualifiers, where they will face the winner of the tie between Guinea-Bissau and Malawi for a ticket to the global tournament scheduled to hold in Poland from September 5 to 27, 2026.

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has handed down a series of disciplinary sanctions to Algeria following the fallout from their tense Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 encounter against Nigeria.

The CAF Disciplinary Board met on 10 January 2026 to deliberate on incidents arising from the match between the two African heavyweights, and its decisions affected players, officials, the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) and supporters.

Goalkeeper Luca Zidane was suspended for two CAF official matches with the Algerian senior national team after being found guilty of misconduct. Defender Rafik Belghali received a four-match suspension for aggressive and intimidating behaviour towards the match referee at the end of the game. However, CAF ruled that two of the four matches would be suspended on a one-year probationary basis, effective from the date of the decision.

The Disciplinary Board also imposed a series of financial penalties on the Algerian Football Federation. FAF was fined USD 5,000 for the conduct of the senior national team after Algeria accumulated five yellow cards during the match, in violation of Article 130(a) of the CAF Disciplinary Code.

A further fine of USD 25,000 was imposed for the inappropriate behaviour of Algerian players and officials after the final whistle, actions which CAF said brought the match into disrepute, contrary to Articles 82 and 83 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.

Supporter-related incidents also attracted heavy sanctions. CAF fined the Algerian FA USD 5,000 for the use of smoke devices by its supporters and another USD 5,000 for the throwing of objects. An additional USD 10,000 fine was imposed for failure to comply with security measures after supporters attempted to force security barriers.

The most severe penalty came in the form of a USD 50,000 fine for offensive and abusive gestures by Algerian supporters, including the display of banknotes towards match officials, an act CAF described as unacceptable and disrespectful.

The sanctions underline CAF’s zero-tolerance stance on misconduct involving players, officials and supporters, particularly at major tournaments, as it seeks to protect match officials and preserve the integrity of the Africa Cup of Nations.

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Ademola Lookman says Nigeria’s confidence continues to build at the Africa Cup of Nations, with the Super Eagles “improving every single game” as they prepare to face Algeria’s Desert Foxes — the 2019 champions — on Saturday in Marrakech.

The Atalanta forward has been Nigeria’s most influential player at the tournament and was again central to their attacking play, earning his second Man of the Match award.

Lookman has now registered three goals and five assists at this AFCON, taking his overall Africa Cup of Nations tally to seven goals.

“It’s been great,” Lookman said after their last match. “The team is improving every single game. It’s all goals today, so that’s positive for us.”

Operating in a fluid attacking trio, Lookman has combined effectively with Akor Adams and Victor Osimhen, helping Nigeria maintain a constant threat in the final third.

Despite a brief verbal exchange with Osimhen in the previous match, Lookman was quick to dismiss any suggestion of tension within the squad.

“Nothing happened, just a discussion on the pitch. That’s it,” he said. “In football, these things happen, and you move on.”

Asked whether such moments can strengthen the team, Lookman again played down their significance.

“I don’t know what the big issue is,” he added. “These things happen in football and you move on.”

Lookman says the responsibility of wearing the national colours continues to drive his performances.

“I get the opportunity to represent my country, and I know how much weight that bears,” he told reporters. “So I try to use that pressure and try to perform.”

With the Super Eagles now firmly focused on Saturday’s quarter-final against the Desert Foxes, Lookman is expecting a stern examination against one of the continent’s most experienced sides.

“The quarterfinals of the AFCON is something to look forward to,” he said. “Another big battle awaits us, so we need to be ready.”

He also highlighted the physical and tactical demands of the competition.

“Everyone is physically strong,” Lookman explained. “It’s about meeting them on the field, being intelligent, and being ready.”

“Same mentality from the team,” he said. “Same mentality to win, to be aggressive on the ball.”

Lookman offered words of encouragement to supporters and those facing challenges beyond the tournament.

“Keep on focusing, keep on believing in yourself,” he said. “Good things will come.”

Nigeria will once again look to Lookman’s inspiration as they chase a place in the AFCON semi-finals against the team that defeated them in 2019 in Egypt. 

-Cafonline