By Our Correspondent in Abuja
Nigeria’s U20 Women’s National Team, the Falconets, have commenced camping in Abuja ahead of the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to hold in Poland 5th – 27th September. A total of 28 players have been invited, with 16 of them already in camp as preparations gather momentum for the global showpiece. More of the invited players are expected to join the team in the coming days.
The technical crew, headed by Coach Moses Aduku, has immediately swung into action with intensive training sessions aimed at fine-tuning the squad for what promises to be another memorable campaign on the world stage. The Falconets secured qualification for the World Cup after an impressive qualifying campaign, with a 5-0 aggregate spanking of Rwanda in the second round before edging Senegal 3-2 on aggregate in the penultimate round. They sealed their ticket to Poland with a 3-2 aggregate victory over Malawi in the final qualifying round, extending Nigeria’s remarkable record as the only African nation to qualify for every edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 2002.
Nigeria remains one of the most successful teams in the tournament’s history, having finished as runners-up in 2010 and 2014, while also reaching the semi-finals in 2012. At the last edition in Colombia in 2024, the Falconets began their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Korea Republic before advancing to the Round of 16, where they bowed out to Japan.
Drawn in Group F alongside Spain, China PR and Paraguay, the Falconets will be aiming to build on their rich legacy and mount a serious challenge for a historic FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup title.
