Sierra Leone’s Under-20 Women Football team has withdrawn from the African qualifiers of the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, a Nigeria Football Association (NFA) official said.
NFA's Chief Technical Officer, Siji Lagunju who made the disclosure in Abuja on Wednesday, said? that the first and second leg matches between Nigeria and Sierra Leone had? been? cancelled.
“This means that Nigeria has now advanced to the next round of the qualifiers.''
The Sierra Leonean team would have played the first leg match with Nigeria on Feb. 18 in Sierra Leone, while the second leg was scheduled for Nigeria on March 3.
The Nigerian team, also known as the Falconets, has been in camp in Abuja since Jan. 20 for the first leg match.
Lagunju quoted a letter from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stating that the Nigerian team had automatically qualified for the second round of the qualifiers.
“We regret to inform you that the team of Sierra Leone withdrew from Africa preliminaries of 2012 FIFA U-20 Women World Cup.
“Consequently, the earlier scheduled first round matches between the two countries have been cancelled and the Nigerian team is qualified for the next round of the competition,'' the letter read.
Sierra Leone qualified for the first round after Guinea withdrew in the preliminary round while Nigeria had drawn bye for the first round.