The Super Falcons of Nigeria will face the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon in a high-profile international friendly scheduled to hold across two venues in Ogun State, following a strategic partnership between the Nigeria Football Federation and the state government, PUNCH Sport Extra reports.
According to NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, the matches are part of broader efforts to decentralise top-level football events and strengthen the country’s football economy through greater collaboration with state governments.
The first match will be played at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Saturday, May 31, while the return leg will take place at the recently upgraded MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta on Tuesday, June 3.
The agreement was reached during a courtesy visit by the NFF leadership to Governor Dapo Abiodun at the Government House in Abeokuta on Sunday.
“We are organizing a friendly match for our senior female national team, the Super Falcons, against the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon, which will take place at the end of this month,” Gusau said.
“We have arranged two-legged matches; the first leg will be played on May 31st, and the second will be played on June 3rd.”
Gusau explained that Ogun State was chosen as host due to its growing importance in national and international sporting affairs, its modern sporting facilities, and its track record of successfully hosting major tournaments.
He added that the partnership is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s New Hope agenda, which seeks to build a sustainable and thriving sports economy. He also noted that the matches would not only offer fans an opportunity to see top-tier women’s football live, but would also boost the local economy and sports development in the state.
The acting President of WAFU B further revealed that Ogun State will host the West African Football Union Zone B U-17 Championship later in September. The tournament will feature Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Niger, Togo, Benin Republic, Ghana and hosts Nigeria. The competition will serve as the qualifiers for the continental U-17 championship and is expected to bring significant attention and tourism to the state.
“We secured the hosting rights, and I informed them that we are going to host it in Ogun State,” he said.
Speaking during the visit, Governor Abiodun expressed his delight at Ogun being chosen to host the two-legged friendly and the WAFU tournament. He commended the NFF for recognising the state’s infrastructural strides and affirmed the commitment of his administration to sports development as a tool for youth empowerment and economic growth.
The governor noted that Ogun is poised to become a major hub for sports in Nigeria, with the National Sports Festival set to begin in a few days and other major events.
“We will build an economy around sports, and I want to thank you for supporting us in that. Besides that fact, we are going to host the All African Under-18 and Under-20 athletics in July, which will take place here because of the facilities we now have.
“You have also announced that there will be a few matches played here, and we are very excited about that. This will help us strengthen the sports economy that we have begun to ensure we sustain this stadium that we have built,” Abiodun said.
He also praised Remo Stars Football Club for their recent Nigeria Premier Football League title win, calling it a historic achievement for the Southwest and a testament to the quality of investment in sports within the state.
Abiodun assured the NFF of his government’s full support in hosting the upcoming matches and tournaments, adding that efforts are ongoing to revitalise state-owned Gateway FC to compete among Nigeria’s football elite once again.
