Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, continued their impressive preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Camp United FC Mambila Barracks in a friendly match.
Key Highlights
- Nigeria’s Falconets defeated Camp United FC Mambila Barracks 2-1 in a friendly as preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup continue.
- The victory followed the team’s 9-0 win over Bodyline FC, extending their impressive run in pre-tournament friendlies.
- Head coach Moses Aduku said the team is making steady progress but still has areas to improve before the World Cup in Poland.
- Aduku explained that playing against boys’ teams is designed to improve the players’ physical strength, tactical awareness and competitiveness.
- The coach identified finishing as a key area requiring further improvement despite the team’s strong attacking display.
The encounter forms part of the team’s build-up to the global tournament scheduled for September and comes on the heels of an emphatic 9-0 victory over Bodyline FC in their opening warm-up fixture, underlining the team’s steady progress in camp.
Facing a physically strong boys’ side on Saturday, the Falconets demonstrated resilience, discipline and attacking quality to emerge victorious, giving head coach Moses Aduku, another opportunity to assess his squad against challenging opposition.
Speaking after the game, Aduku described the match as a vital part of the team’s preparation programme, insisting that the Falconets are gradually reaching the level required for the World Cup.
“Preparation is the most difficult stage, but the girls are catching up gradually. We are not there yet, but we are on course,” he said.
The coach explained that arranging friendlies against boys’ teams is intentional, as it exposes his players to greater physical demands and helps improve their tactical awareness and competitiveness.
“We saw good attacking play today despite facing a strong boys’ team. We created several scoring opportunities, but we still need to improve our finishing. That is one of the key areas we are working on before the World Cup,” he said.
Aduku also highlighted the importance of confidence and mental strength in building a successful team.
“Football is a game of mistakes. When a player misses a chance, we encourage her because she can still become the match winner,” the coach adde
“Confidence, consistency and maintaining concentration throughout the game are qualities we continue to instill in the players.”
He revealed that the Falconets are only in their second week of camping, with several weeks of preparation remaining before the final squad for Poland is announced.
“The players are competing for places in the team, and that’s healthy competition. Everyone is working hard because they know selection will be based on performance.”
Falconets captain, Joy Igbokwe expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, describing the victory as another positive step in their World Cup preparations.
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“It was an intense game because we played against boys, but it was a very good test for us. We are still improving, and with every friendly match we are getting better.”
She assured Nigerians that the team is determined to make the country proud at the tournament.
“Nothing is impossible. We will go to Poland and give our very best. By the special grace of God, we will not return empty-handed.”
The Falconets, one of Africa’s most successful teams at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with multiple semi-final appearances, will continue their series of friendly matches as Aduku fine-tunes his squad ahead of the tournament in Poland.
With convincing victories over Bodyline FC (9-0) which was held Wednesday 23 2026 and Camp United FC Mambila Barracks (2-1) Saturday, the Nigerian side appears to be gathering momentum as it intensifies preparations for another bid to secure a historic first FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title.
