The Confederation of African Football announced that Nigeria, the top-ranked team in Africa, will play South Africa, the defending African champions, in the first leg of their last qualifying match for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament on April 5 at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
The match is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., and Ghada Mehat of Algeria will serve as the referee. Asma Feriel Ouahab, a Mehat native, and Lamia Atman, a Mauritan, will take on the positions of assistant referee one and fourth official, respectively, while Mariem Cheddad will act as assistant referee two.
Former FIFA referee Fadouma Dia of Senegal will act as the referee assessor, and Christine Ziga of Ghana will act as the commissioner.
Four days later, at a location to be determined in South Africa, will be the return leg. The match will be officiated by Tunisian official Dorsaf Ganouati, according to CAF.
Egyptian Yara Atef Abdelfattah will serve as assistant referee 2, while her fellow countrymen Houda Afine (assistant referee 1) and Emna Ajbouni (fourth official) will support her.
The commissioner will be Cindy Dludlu of eSwatini, and the referee assessor will be Agar Mezing of Cameroon.
In the penultimate round of the competition, the Falcons defeated Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses with a single goal from Esther Okoronkwo over the course of two legs at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, while Banyana Banyana defeated Tanzania 4-0 over the course of two legs in Dar es Salaam and Nelspruit.
The Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, which begins in Paris on July 16, will feature 15 senior women’s teams from around the world. The winner of the two legs in early April will compete in this competition.