Aduku reacts to Falconets’ World Cup spot after Malawi scare

Coach Moses Aduku has reacted to the Nigeria Falconets’ qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland after surviving a massive scare from Malawi on Saturday, 9 May 2026.

The Falconets suffered a 2-1 defeat to Malawi’s Junior Scorchers in Lilongwe, but secured their place in the World Cup finals via a 3-2 aggregate scoreline, courtesy of their 2-0 victory in the first leg at home.

Reflecting on the result, Aduku admitted he brought his side to the Bingu National Stadium in the Malawian capital seeking nothing less than a victory, though he found the encounter far more difficult than anticipated.

Nigeria’s Aduku: ‘Malawi Went to Sleep’

Nigeria Falconets – World Cup Bound 🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/5t3XedSDT2

— Dr. Victor Ademola (@AdemolaVictorTv) May 9, 2026

“It was a wonderful game,” he stated. “Both sides played well tactically, but honestly, we did not come here to lose. However, losing while still qualifying for the World Cup is not a problem.”

“I have great respect for the Malawians. They came out, they fought, and they earned those two goals, but they went to sleep at a critical moment, and we capitalised on it. In the first half, we were supposed to score but failed to convert our chances. We are going to work on that. All the same, Poland 2026, here we come.”

Falconets Maintain Perfect Qualification Record

The Falconets mentor noted that qualifying for the U-20 Women’s World Cup is the bare minimum expected of his team; therefore, he was not surprised to see them progress.

“Nigeria has never failed to qualify for the World Cup since the inception of the competition, so we simply could not afford to fail. We have been constantly motivating ourselves to maintain that legacy,” Aduku added.

During this final qualifying round second leg, Malawi featured Faith Chinzimu—fresh from winning the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup with BK Häcken in Sweden—who partnered France-based Rose Kabzere in attack. Both stars had missed the first leg due to their respective club commitments.

Malawi’s Faith in Chinzimu Pays Off, But Falls Short

Chinzimu grabbed the opening goal for Malawi in the ninth minute, making the most of Olivia Phikani’s free-kick to head the ball home and ignite celebrations from the home crowd. Under coach Chombo, the Junior Scorchers maintained their 1-0 lead heading into the halftime break.

When play resumed, Chinzimu required only 10 minutes of the second half to double the Junior Scorchers’ lead and level the aggregate score.

However, just six minutes later, the visitors pulled a goal back through Precious Oscar, a strike that dampened the mood among the home fans and restored Nigeria’s aggregate advantage.

The Falconets could have added more goals to their tally, but were frequently let down by wayward finishing. Nevertheless, Aduku’s side held firm to secure their ticket to the World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Poland in September 2026.