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By JOE APU
Nigeria’s U-20 women’s team, the Falconets, are on the brink of securing yet another appearance at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup as they prepare to face Malawi in the decisive second leg of their qualifying tie on Saturday in Lilongwe.
The Falconets carry a comfortable 2-0 advantage into the encounter after last weekend’s first-leg victory in Ikenne-Remo and are determined to maintain Nigeria’s remarkable record of featuring at every edition of the tournament since its inception in 2002.
According to the NFF Media department, Nigeria competed at the inaugural championship in Canada in 2002 when the competition was staged as an U-19 tournament, and also featured in Thailand 2004 before it was upgraded to an U-20 event ahead of the Russia 2006 finals. Since then, the Falconets have remained ever-present at the global tournament, appearing in Chile 2008, Germany 2010, Japan 2012, Canada 2014, Papua New Guinea 2016, France 2018, Costa Rica 2022 and Colombia 2024.
The Nigerian side boasts an impressive history in the competition, having finished as runners-up twice in Germany 2010 and Canada 2014, while also reaching the semi-finals in Japan 2012.
The team arrived in Malawi on Wednesday ahead of the return leg at the Bingu National Stadium, with head coach Moses Aduku expressing confidence in his players’ readiness for the crucial fixture.
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Speaking during Friday’s pre-match press conference, Aduku said the team was fully focused on completing the job and sealing qualification for Poland 2026.
“We are here to play and to win. The players understand the importance of this match, and we are fully prepared mentally, tactically, and physically for the challenge ahead,” he said.
The coaching crew has also intensified efforts to improve the team’s efficiency in front of goal, particularly in the early stages of matches, after reviewing recent performances. Training sessions have reportedly focused on attacking coordination, defensive organisation and maintaining concentration throughout the contest.
The Falconets have enjoyed an impressive qualification campaign, eliminating Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate before overcoming Senegal 3-1 across two legs to reach the final round.
Saturday’s match is scheduled to kick off at 3:00pm Malawi time, which is 2:00pm in Nigeria.
Elsewhere across the continent, Ghana travel to Kampala to face Uganda after edging the first leg 2-1 in Accra, while Cameroon take a 3-1 advantage into their clash against Tanzania in Dar es Salaam. Benin Republic will also host Côte d’Ivoire after both sides settled for a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Abidjan.
