Nigeria’s Super Falcons has qualified for third round of women football events of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games by default as its opponent, female Eagles of Mali boycotted the first leg of the fixtures.
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has acknowledged a letter from Federation of International Football (FIFA) informing Nigeria of Mali’s withdrawal from the crucial tie.
“We would like to urgently share with you that the Mali Football Federation has just formally notified FIFA of the withdrawal of its women’s national team from the Olympic qualifiers. By way of consequence, both leg matches of the 2nd round are cancelled and your women’s national team is automatically qualified for the 3rd round matches,” a letter signed by Gordon Savic, Head of FIFA World Cup and Olympics Qualifiers and addressed to NFF’s Deputy Director (Competitions), Bola Oyeyode read.
Nigeria would know the next Super Falcons opponents “in due course,” the letter addressed to NFF’s Deputy Director (Competitions), Bola Oyeyode adds.
Officials for the match consisting of Mrs Delly Mankou Elise from Congo-Brazzaville (Match Commissioner), Mrs Maniyela Edu Okomo (Referee), Mrs Margarita Engono Abang (1stAssistant Referee), Mrs Juliana Onva Okomo (2nd Assistant Referee) all from Equatorial Guinea, and Reserve Referee Fatou Seye Ndeye from Senegal had all arrived in Nigeria on Thursday prior to arrival of FIFA letter confirming Mali’s withdrawal from the tie.
“The development means the Super Falcons have now qualified for the third round of the qualifiers, with the first leg coming up mid-July, ahead of a final round of qualifiers scheduled for October 2015”, a statement from the FA read.
The match was billed to take place at the National Stadium Abuja before the Super Falcons flies out to kick-start last leg of its World Cup preparations.
By Olisemeka Obeche
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