Nigeria’s Falconets will go into their final Group F game of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with everything to play for as they face New Caledonia on Sunday at the Stadion Miejski LKS Łódź.
Head Coach Moses Aduku has assured that the team is ready to give their best and fight for a place in the knockout stage.
The Falconets started their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Spain before playing out a goalless draw against China in their second match. The result against China gave Nigeria one point and kept their hopes of progressing to the next round alive.
New Caledonia, who are making their debut at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, sit at the bottom of Group F after suffering heavy defeats in their opening two matches. They lost 0-5 to China before falling 0-11 to Spain, leaving them without a point and with a goal difference of minus 16.
Despite New Caledonia’s results, Aduku says his team will not take their opponents lightly.
“The results in their last two matches notwithstanding, we will not under-rate our opponents. I am happy because the girls are in good spirits and ready to go, and there are no injuries in our camp as I speak,” Aduku said.
The Falconets know the importance of the game and must find the back of the net to strengthen their chances of moving forward in the competition.
Aduku believes his players understand what is at stake and will approach the game with a clear focus on scoring goals.
“We all know the implication of our not scoring goals on Sunday, so we will go in there and focus on scoring goals to stand a chance of reaching the next round. We cannot afford to go back home now,” he added.
Nigeria currently have one point from their opening two games and will need a strong victory against New Caledonia to improve their goal difference and keep their qualification hopes alive.
The Falconets will also have to pay attention to the result of the other Group F match between Spain and China. However, a convincing win against New Caledonia remains important as Nigeria look to give themselves the best possible chance of reaching the Round of 16 in the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign.
