The third round of the African qualifiers for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup will be played from February 6th – 14th, 2026, with the Falconets of Nigeria set to take on Senegal in what promises to be a thrilling match-up.
At the end of this round, 16 teams will advance to the 4th and final round in May. The road to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, tagged Poland 2026 , reaches a first decisive turning point for African national teams. The World Cup is scheduled from September 5th – 27th.
With the third qualifying round, played over two legs, the stakes are high. Some fixtures naturally command the spotlight. Nigeria vs Senegal pits a continental reference in youth categories against a Senegalese side now well accustomed to high-intensity encounters.
Ghana vs South Africa shapes up as a tactical duel between two well-structured nations, while Côte d’Ivoire vs DR Congo promises a hard-fought, physical contest that could remain undecided until the final whistle.
In regional derbies — Kenya vs Tanzania promises fireworks while Zambia vs Uganda would be a highly unpredictable.
At the conclusion of this third round, sixteen teams will qualify for the fourth and final round of the qualifiers. One last filter before the U-20 World Cup, where four teams will represent Africa on the global stage.