Nigeria’s U20 women’s national team, the Falconets, have departed the country for Poland ahead of the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed on Monday, August 24, that the team had completed its final preparations in Abuja before leaving for the tournament.
The Falconets qualified for the competition after defeating Rwanda, Senegal and Malawi during the qualifiers. They beat Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate, Senegal 3-1 and Malawi 3-2.
The team’s final training camp in Abuja focused on fitness, tactics, teamwork and mental preparation.
Head coach Moses Aduku said the team is ready for the competition and will travel to Poland with the aim of winning the trophy.
Captain Joy Igbokwe also called on Nigerians to continue supporting and praying for the team, saying the players are determined to make the country proud.
Nigeria will compete in Group F alongside Spain, China PR and New Caledonia. The Falconets will play Spain on September 7, China on September 10 and New Caledonia on September 13.
The team is expected to arrive in Poland on Tuesday, August 25, and will initially stay in Trzebnica before moving to the official FIFA hotel on September 3.
The Falconets have finished as runners-up at the U20 Women’s World Cup twice, in 2010 and 2014. They will be hoping to win the title for the first time in Poland.
Nigeria remains the only African country to have participated in every edition of the competition since it began as an U19 tournament 24 years ago.
A total of 21 players will represent Nigeria at the tournament.
