FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup: Falconets Set Sights on Poland Glory

Posted : 25 August 2026

Nigeria’s Falconets have departed for Poland with a clear ambition to turn years of near-success into a historic FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup triumph.

The two-time runners-up completed their final preparations in Abuja before departing Nigeria on Monday night for the 2026 tournament, where they will begin their campaign in Group F against Spain, China PR and New Caledonia.

Head Coach Moses Aduku expressed confidence that his players are ready for the global challenge after an intensive final camping programme focused on fitness, tactical discipline, team cohesion and mental strength.

According to Aduku, the squad has been adequately prepared and will approach the competition with the mentality required to challenge for the ultimate prize.

The Falconets earned their place in Poland through a convincing qualifying campaign, eliminating Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate before overcoming Senegal 3-1 on aggregate and edging Malawi 3-2 on aggregate in the final round.

Captain Joy Igbokwe said the players were determined to repay the confidence of Nigerians by producing a strong performance at the tournament.

She appealed to Nigerians to continue praying for and supporting the team, assuring that the Falconets would fight to make the country proud.

Nigeria have finished as runners-up at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup on two occasions, in 2010 and 2014, and will now attempt to go one step further by securing the country’s first title in the competition.

The Falconets are also bidding to maintain Nigeria’s remarkable record as the only African country to have featured at every edition of the competition since its inaugural staging as an U-19 tournament in Canada 24 years ago.

A total of 21 players will represent Nigeria in Poland, with the team scheduled to stay at Hotel Trzebnica in Trzebnica from Tuesday, Aug. 25, until Thursday, Sept. 3.

During their stay in Trzebnica, the team will continue their technical and tactical preparations while acclimatising to the Polish environment before moving into the official FIFA hotel.

The Falconets will open their Group F campaign against Spain on Sept. 7, face China PR on Sept. 10 and conclude the group stage against New Caledonia on Sept. 13.

The Nigerian squad comprises Christiana Uzoma, Jane Ijirigho, Ramotalahi Kareem, Queen Joseph, Favour Nkwocha, Rebecca Adegbemile, Joy Igbokwe, Faridat Abdulwahab, Precious Oscar, Tumininu Adeshina, Bright Etim, Onyedikachi Ekezie, Victory Lucky, Mary Mamudu, Hannah Ibrahm, Tosin Rafiu, Janet Akekoromowei, Amber Ogbolu, Winner David, Chisom Nwachukwu and Jumai Adebayo.

With preparations completed and the squad now in Poland, the Falconets will hope to translate their qualifying form and strong tournament pedigree into a title-winning campaign on the world stage.

FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup: Falconets Set Sights on Poland Glory

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