A five-man inspection team from FIFA will arrive Lagos on Monday for a four-day inspection of facilities and equipments that Nigeria has put forward to host the U20 Women’s World Cup in 2020. FIFA, U20 Women’s World Cup FIFA This was in a statement by the Head, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Communications Department, Ademola Olajire. The officials Christopher Exley, Sara Jane Booth, Kliment Taseski, Rhiannon Ceirwen Martin and Heyral Kaj Jurgen will arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Monday evening.
They would be received by Amaju Pinnick, President of NFF, first Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi. Also, NFF Executive Committee member and Chairman of the Nigeria Women Football League Aisha Falode and top officials of the Lagos State Sports Commission led by the Executive Chairman, Kweku Tandoh will receive the FIFA team. Nigeria has put forward the cities of Lagos, Benin, Asaba and Uyo for the hosting of the 16 nations finals. The inspection team will begin work in Lagos on Tuesday, with visits to the Onikan Stadium, St. Nicholas Hospital and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. They will also inspect the Teslim Balogun Stadium, National Stadium Legacy Pitch, Eagle Club, Campos Square and the University of Lagos Sports Centre as training sites, before a courtesy call on Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The team will thereafter, fly to Benin City same day to inspect facilities at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium for match venue while Western Boys College and University of Benin Sports Centre would be used as training sites. The Edo Specialist Hospital and University of Benin Teaching Hospital would serve as referral hospitals. The contingent will check out the facilities in Asaba and Uyo on Wednesday. In Asaba, the Stephen Keshi Stadium is the proposed match venue, while training sites are Asaba Squash Courts and St. Patrick’s College. The referral hospitals are St. Luke’s Hospital and Asaba General Hospital. In Uyo, the focus will be on the Godswill Akpabio Stadium as match venue with Ikot Ekpene Stadium and Godswill Akpabio Training Pitch to be used as training sites while Ibom Specialist Hospital and University of Uyo Teaching Hospital will be referral hospital.
The inspection party will then fly to Abuja on Thursday for a meeting with the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr. Olusade Adesola and a courtesy call to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa. Nigeria is one of only four countries to have participated in every edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s Cup since the competition was launched in 2002 in Canada as an U19 Championship. It was upgraded to U20 competition in 2008. USA, Germany and Brazil are the other three ever-present teams. The Falconets reached the Final of the competition in 2010 and 2014, losing to Germany on both occasions, and were semi-finalists in Japan in 2012. (NAN)
