Africa’s top-ranked team, Nigeria will host reigning African champions South Africa in the first leg of their Women’s Olympic Football Tournament final qualifying fixture at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Friday, 5th April.
The encounter at Nigeria capital’s magnificent facility will kick off at 4pm, with Algerian referee Ghada Mehat as referee. compatriots Asma Feriel Ouahab and Lamia Atman will be in the roles of assistant referee 1 and fourth official respectively, while Mariem Cheddad from Mauritania will serve as assistant referee 2.
Senegalese Fadouma Dia, a former FIFA referee, will be referee assessor while Ghanaian Chrstine Ziga will serve as commissioner.
For the return leg scheduled for South Africa (venue to be decided) on Tuesday, 9th April, the Confederation of African Football has appointed Tunisian official Dorsaf Ganouati as referee. She will be assisted by compatriots Houda Afine (assistant referee 1) and Emna Ajbouni (fourth official) with Egyptian Yara Atef Abdelfattah as assistant referee 2.
Agar Mezing from Cameroon will be the referee assessor while Cindy Dludlu from eswatini will be commissioner.
The Super Falcons saw off the challenge of Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses in the penultimate round of the race, with a single goal over the two legs scored by Esther Okoronkwo at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, while Banyana Banyana thrashed Tanzania 4-0 over two legs in Dar es Salaam and Nelspruit.
The winner over two legs in early April will join 15 other senior women teams from across the globe for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament starting in Paris on 16th July.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
