Nigeria’s Falconets edged out Rwanda 1-0 in the first leg, second round of the 2026 FIFA U-20 women’s World Cup qualifiers in Kigali on Sunday.
The Falconets goal was scored in the 70th minute through Alaba Otaniyi who rose to head home from a corner kick.
The second leg will be played inside the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan on September 27.
The 2026 FIFA U-20 women’s World Cup will take place in Poland from 5th to 27th September.
Four teams are expected to represent Africa at the tournament.
More to follow.
3 Comments
Well done to the Falconets. Whilst some would find the slim scoreline a worry, for me it reflects that the quality women’s football is on the ascendancy in the continent.
It is sine-qua-non that we continually invest in our young ladies with finance, equipment and cutting edge facilities so that they can continually rise above the pack.
With a number of our record setting 2025 Super Falcons on the upper end of their 20s, it will be up to these younger ones to saddle up and take the roles of reluctant heroes in the subsequent Wafcons.
Mercifully, most, if not all recent Falconets graduates have taken to top flight international football like the proverbial duck to water.
Deborah Abiodun, Demehin, Shukurat Oladipo and Folashade Ijamilusi are recent Falconets alumni rubbing shoulders and boots with the big girls, big time, compellingly.
This is wishing this lot success in the second leg against Rwanda and ultimate qualification for the world cup where they can announce themselves and be added to the conveyor belt of Super Falcons prospects
Congratulations girls.
Our strikers need to be more clinical in front of goal.
Very proud of you
God bless Nigeria..
@Deo, Actually the girls were wasteful in front of goal, the Rwandan commentator even mentioned it. The girls were in control of the game, but the third half in the opponent’s area was poor, especially the falconet in jersey no 15, she missed 3 clear chances.
The match was live on youtube by FERWAFA TV and still there now (recorded).
Though the age grade is developmental, one expect the coach to make serious improvements as he is not new within the U20 girls set up.