By Dorcas Francis Koji
Falconets head coach Moses Aduku has declared Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team ready for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after they rounded off their pre-tournament preparations in Poland with a 1-1 draw against South Korea.
Nigeria played two warm-up matches in Poland, recording a 1-0 victory over the hosts before sharing the spoils with South Korea in their final friendly on Tuesday.
Despite the draw, Aduku expressed satisfaction with his team’s preparations and confirmed that there were no injury concerns ahead of the tournament.
“So far, so good. We are done with our friendly games. For me, we are good. No injury worries. My girls are ready,” Aduku said after the encounter.
The Falconets took the lead in the 29th minute through Mary Mamudu, who also scored the winning goal in Nigeria’s 1-0 victory over Poland.
South Korea, however, fought back and restored parity from the penalty spot in the 78th minute to ensure Nigeria ended their two-match preparation campaign with one win and one draw.
Aduku acknowledged that his side had opportunities to secure another victory but praised their opponents for putting up a strong challenge.
“It was not a bad game. For me, the game was so good. We lost one or two scoring chances to win the game, but all the same, I respect the Korean team. They are also a good side,” he said.
Goalkeeper Effiong Bright Etim also praised the team’s performance while stressing the importance of maintaining concentration and fighting until the final whistle.
“They played very well, and if I am to rate them, I’ll give them 95 out of 100,” Etim said.
“What I learnt is that we shouldn’t give up, even if we’re leading. We shouldn’t give up, no matter what. Play till the end, that’s what we did.”
With their final friendly now completed, the Falconets will shift their full attention to the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and their quest for a strong start in Group F.
Nigeria will begin their campaign against Spain on Monday before facing China on Thursday, September 10, in Sosnowiec.
The Falconets will then conclude their group-stage fixtures against New Caledonia on Sunday, September 13, in Łódź.
With no reported injury concerns and two competitive warm-up matches under their belt, Aduku’s side will head into the tournament aiming to translate their preparations into a strong World Cup campaign.
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