The Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo has been selected to host both legs of Nigeria’s second-round Olympic qualifying tie against Comoros as the Super Falcons begin their campaign for a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed that the two matches will be played on 9 and 13 October, with the 10-time African champions aiming to secure back-to-back Olympic appearances following their participation at the 2024 Paris Games.
Nigeria, ranked among the three highest-rated teams in the qualifying competition, received a bye into the second round, where they will face Comoros in a two-legged knockout tie.
Comoros booked their place in the round after defeating Sudan 30-0 on aggregate.
The Falcons must overcome four rounds of two-legged ties to secure one of Africa’s two available tickets to the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles Olympics.
Should Nigeria eliminate Comoros, they will advance to the third round, scheduled for 23 February to 6 March 2027. Their opponents at that stage will be either the Democratic Republic of Congo or Morocco.
A place in the fourth round would see the Falcons face one of Tunisia, Senegal, Benin Republic or Mali between 4 and 12 October 2027.
The final round is scheduled for 23 November to 4 December 2027, with Nigeria potentially facing Guinea, Cameroon, DR Congo, Ivory Coast, Central African Republic, Algeria or Burkina Faso.
The Falcons could, however, enter the Olympic qualifying campaign with a new technical crew, as the NFF steps up efforts to appoint a coach ahead of the October fixtures.
Former Super Falcons coach Thomas Dennerby is reportedly being considered for a return to the position as the federation prepares for the Comoros matches.
In August, the NFF board under former president Ibrahim Gusau asked the technical crew led by Justine Madugu to step aside following Nigeria’s disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
The Falcons failed to retain their continental title and also missed out on qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Madugu and his technical crew had previously guided Nigeria to a record-extending 10th WAFCON title in 2025.
Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, also disclosed in August that efforts were being made to appoint a new technical crew before the Olympic qualifiers.
“The Olympics are around the corner; we will see how we can tweak the technical team of the Falcons as we did for the U-23, which coach Eric Chelle will handle. This is because we are desirous of qualifying for the Olympics,” Olopade said.
With the first two Olympic qualifying matches now scheduled for Ikenne, the Falcons will be looking to make a strong start in their bid to return to the world’s biggest sporting stage.
