Aduku Declares Falconets Ready For U-20 World Cup

Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team head coach, Moses Aduku, has declared the Falconets ready for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

Aduku said the team had completed its final preparations and was physically and mentally prepared to compete against the best young teams in the world.

The coach expressed his confidence after Nigeria drew 1-1 with South Korea in their final warm-up match in Poland on Tuesday.

The result followed a 1-0 victory over hosts Poland in the Falconets’ previous friendly, giving Nigeria one win and one draw from their two-match preparation campaign.

Mary Mamudu opened the scoring against South Korea in the 29th minute, continuing her impressive form after also scoring against Poland.

South Korea equalised from the penalty spot in the 78th minute, denying Nigeria a second consecutive victory.

Despite the draw, Aduku was satisfied with the overall performance and said the team was in good condition ahead of the tournament.

He also confirmed that there were no injury concerns within the squad as the players turned their attention to their opening World Cup fixture.

Nigeria’s preparations have focused on improving fitness, tactical organisation, teamwork and mental strength, with Aduku demanding a strong winning mentality from his players.

The Falconets secured their place at the tournament after overcoming Rwanda, Senegal and Malawi during the qualifying campaign.

Nigeria remain one of the most consistent teams in the history of the competition and are yet to win the title despite reaching the final on three occasions.

The Falconets will begin their Group F campaign against Spain on September 7 before facing China on September 10 and New Caledonia on September 13.

Aduku has made it clear that the team did not travel to Poland simply to participate. The coach wants his players to compete strongly and challenge for the trophy.

The final friendly against South Korea provided the team with another opportunity to test its readiness before the competitive action begins.

With preparations now complete, the Falconets will turn their full attention to their opening match against Spain.

Aduku believes the players have done enough in training and warm-up matches to approach the tournament with confidence, while recognising that the team must maintain concentration and discipline throughout the competition.

The Falconets will now look to translate their preparation into results as they begin their quest for Nigeria’s first U-20 Women’s World Cup title.