Ado Salisu
Nigeria’s U-20 Women’s National Team, the Falconets, have resumed camping in Abuja ahead of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to take place in Poland from 5 to 27 September.
Twenty-eight players have been invited to camp, with 16 already in Abuja as preparations gather pace for the global tournament. The remaining invited players are expected to join the squad in the coming days.
Head Coach Moses Aduku has commenced intensive training sessions as the technical crew begins preparations aimed at building a competitive team for the championship.
The Falconets qualified for the tournament after an impressive campaign, defeating Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate in the second qualifying round before edging Senegal 3-2 on aggregate in the penultimate round. They sealed qualification with another 3-2 aggregate victory over Malawi in the final round.
The feat extends Nigeria’s remarkable record as the only African nation to qualify for every edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup since the competition was inaugurated in 2002.
The Falconets remain one of the competition’s most successful teams, having finished as runners-up in 2010 and 2014, while reaching the semi-finals in 2012.
At the last edition in Colombia in 2024, Nigeria opened its campaign with a 1-0 victory over Korea Republic before exiting the tournament in the Round of 16 after a defeat to Japan.
Drawn in Group F alongside Spain, China PR and Paraguay, the Falconets will be hoping to build on their rich history and mount a strong challenge for a first-ever FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title.