Eight Nigerian Cities To Host FIFA U17 World Cup

FIFA have picked eight cities across Nigeria to stage this year's Under-17 World Cup, with only the southern city of Warri excluded.

Fans in the country's capital city of Abuja, Lagos, Bauchi, Calabar, Enugu, Ijebu-Ode, Kaduna and Kano will therefore have the chance to see the world's future stars from October 24 until November 15.

FIFA vice-president, Jack Warner, said Warri lost out because the pitch in its stadium was in an "extremely poor state".

Before now, there were concerns over the safety of teams in the oil-rich town, which is in the heart of the restive Niger Delta, where militants have been violently agitating for better life for people in the oil-producing region.

Bauchi, earlier ruled out as a match venue and only recently at the centre of a religious riot that left several hundreds dead, was a surprise choice by FIFA.