By Mike Oboh
Coach Chris Danjuma and his Nigeria U20 girls will pull no punches when they take on their Cameroonian counterparts in the second leg of their fourth round fixture, as the race for this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals hots up.
Venue is the refurbished MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja and kick-off time is 4pm on Saturday, 5th February.
Both teams battled to a scoreless draw in a tough and gritty encounter at the Stade Reunification in Douala on Saturday, 22nd January.
Danjuma said: “We have no choice but to go all out for goals. The Cameroonian team is a strong one but we have worked hard since returning from the first leg in Douala and I believe my girls will get the job done.”
Saturday’s encounter will be the first international match at the MKO Abiola National Stadium since the venue hosted a 2016 Women Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between the Super Falcons and the Senior Women Team of Senegal in April 2016.
It is also the first of a number of crucial matches for Nigeria at the arena in the next few months, including the first leg of the 2022 Women AFCON final qualifying fixture between the Super Falcons and the Lady Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire and the return leg of the 2022 FIFA World Cup play-off round between the Super Eagles and the Black Stars of Ghana.
The Falconets require only the minimum win to reach the final qualifying round, where they will square up with the winner between Morocco and Senegal for a place in the finals in Costa Rica in August this year.
Togolese official Vincentia Amedome has been appointed by CAF as the referee. Amedome will be assisted by compatriot Abra Agbedanou (assistant referee 1); Ghanaian Doris Essuman Darko (assistant referee 2) and yet another Togolese Edoh Kindedji (fourth official). The match commissioner is Aisha Nalule from Uganda while Ghanaian Emmanuella Grace Aglago will serve as referee assessor.
