Falconets begin camp in Abuja for 2026 U-20 World Cup qualifiers

Nigeria’s U-20 Women’s National Team, the Falconets, will resume their training camp in Abuja on Sunday. They are preparing for their two-legged 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying matches against Rwanda in September.

The team will be under the guidance of newly appointed head coach Moses Aduku, who has called up 35 players from the Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) for this initial phase.

The squad is a mix of experienced players and new talent. Several members of the team that reached the Round of 16 at the 2024 World Cup in Colombia have been recalled, including captain Oluchi Ohaegbulem and forwards Mary Lucky Nkpa and Goodness Osigwe.

The Falconets received a bye to the second round of qualifiers due to their strong record in the competition, having qualified for the World Cup 11 times and finishing as runners-up on two occasions. Their opponents, Rwanda, secured their spot in this round by defeating Zimbabwe with a 2-1 aggregate score.

The first leg of the qualifier will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, at the Pele Stadium on Sunday, September 21. The second leg will be held at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan on September 27.

The winner of this tie will advance to the third and final round, where they will face either Senegal or Algeria for a place at the global tournament in Poland in 2026.