Falconets Resume Camping in Abuja Ahead of World Cup

The Falconets, Nigeria’s U-20 Women’s National Team, commenced camping in Abuja on July 16, 2026, as they prepared for the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Poland from September 5 to September 27. A total of 28 players received invitations, with 16 players already present at the camp, as preparations intensified for the prestigious global tournament. Additional invited players are expected to join the team in the upcoming days.

The technical crew, led by Coach Moses Aduku, immediately initiated intensive training sessions to fine-tune the squad for what is anticipated to be another remarkable campaign on the world stage. The Falconets secured their spot in the World Cup through an impressive qualifying run, defeating Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate in the second round and edging past Senegal 3-2 on aggregate in the penultimate round. They sealed their ticket to Poland with a final round aggregate victory of 3-2 against Malawi, solidifying Nigeria’s status as the only African nation to qualify for every edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup since its inception in 2002.

Historically, Nigeria has been one of the most successful teams in the tournament, having finished as runners-up in both 2010 and 2014, and reaching the semi-finals in 2012. In their most recent appearance at the 2024 edition in Colombia, the Falconets started their campaign with a victory over Korea Republic and advanced to the Round of 16, where they were eliminated by Japan.

For the upcoming tournament, the Falconets have been drawn in Group F alongside Spain, China PR, and Paraguay. They aim to build on their rich legacy and mount a serious challenge for their first FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup title.