Nigeria’s Falconets suffered a heartbreaking exit from the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup on Sunday after conceding a stoppage-time goal in a 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Colombia in Lodz, Poland.
Valerin Loboa struck in the second minute of added time to send Colombia into the semi-finals after Nigeria had successfully kept their opponents at bay throughout the regulation 90 minutes.
The Falconets created several promising opportunities during the contest but were unable to find the breakthrough.
Janet Akekoromowei came closest in the 19th minute when she unleashed an effort from the edge of the box that beat the goalkeeper but crashed against the crossbar.
Nigeria threatened again 19 minutes later when Tumininu Adeshina fired a low effort towards goal, only for Colombia goalkeeper Luisa Agudelo to react quickly and push the ball over the bar.
The Falconets continued to press after the interval, with Tosin Rafiu, Akekoromowei and Onyedikachi Ekezie involved in Nigeria’s attacking moves as they searched for the goal that would take them into the last four.
However, Nigeria’s task became more difficult in the 77th minute when Kafayat Mafisere was shown a straight red card for a foul on Samantha Rodriguez.
Despite being reduced to 10 players, the Falconets refused to retreat and continued to frustrate Colombia, who also struggled to create clear opportunities and increasingly looked to counter-attack.
Nigeria appeared to be heading towards extra time until Loboa produced the decisive moment deep into stoppage time.
The Colombian forward raced onto a through ball and saw her first effort blocked by Nigeria goalkeeper and captain Christiana Uzoma. Loboa reacted quickest to the rebound, firing into the net to break Nigerian hearts.
The defeat brought the Falconets’ World Cup campaign to an end despite their determined performance and several chances created during the quarter-final.
NFF Acting General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme praised the players for their effort and commitment, telling them they had given everything in the contest.
“You gave your best out there, and the NFF and every Nigerian watching saw that you held nothing back,” Ikpeme told the players.
Ikpeme noted that Nigeria had created enough opportunities to win the encounter and urged the players not to allow the narrow defeat to diminish their efforts throughout the tournament.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Poland, Chioma Ohakim, also commended the Falconets for their determination and fighting spirit during the competition.
Although the late defeat ended Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals, the Falconets’ performance against Colombia reflected a team that remained competitive until the final moments before suffering one of the most painful exits of the tournament.
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