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Nigeria’s Falconets have qualified for this year’s FIFA U-20 women’s World Cup in Poland edging out The Scorchers of Malawi.
In Saturday’s second leg, final round qualifier the Falconets lost 2-1 but go through on 3-2 aggregate win.
The coach Moses Aduku-led side won the first leg 2-0 in Ikenne, Ogun State last Saturday.
A brace from Faith Chimzimu on 9th and 56th minutes, had cancelled out the Falconets’ 2-0 first leg advantage.
Also Read: U-20 WWCQ: Malawi Coach Rallies Fans Ahead Falconets Decider
But in the 62nd minute Precious pulled a goal back which was enough to secure the ticket for the Falconets.
This will be Nigeria’s 12th appearance at the U-20 women’s World Cup since the maiden edition in 2002 in Canada.
By James Agberebi
10 Comments
Deo’s “professionally produced, purposefully presented powerful performance” (last week comment) team is going to continue the free fall of Nigerian cadet football in Poland world cup.
I watched the match to the end only as an act of patriotism. The match was a beautiful eyesore. Long balls were frequently dead. Throw ins were perpetually long balls.
Long may poaching foreign born players for falcons continue.
But is Madugu even doing that still?
Finally, dominant female football performance on the continent may have since ended.
Is it that we can’t salvage our football again? Talent and coaches are gone?
The coach’s midfield is not bad, but he should seriously go and look for sharp-shooting strikers, improve the defence, and the goalkeeping departments.
I think they’re a good team overall, but I couldn’t recognize a single lethal threat upfront, unlike the Malawian girl who scored both goals. Every single move to score always heavily involved the midfielders being in and around the final third.
“The coach’s midfield is not bad, but he should seriously go and look for sharp-shooting strikers, improve the defence, and the goalkeeping departments”
When more NFF powered players will slot in and “rebuilding” start over at the world cup?
You think they are a good team! Ah. With the kick and about game after 3 rounds and 6 solid matches? The long balls to always no man’s land were too ugly to watch.
At this stage and this year, is it not ripe for us to have a recognized playing pattern for all the teams?
We are just making money for NFF who will siphon world cup money when our cadet teams, female, qualify for world cups.
We are not deliberate about having quality structure. Last week, the attackers missed 788 chances (after 4 matches in previous 2 rounds).
Don’t praise today’s football. It’s not improving year on year at all.
Malawi 2:1 Nigeria’s Falconets (2:3 on aggregate) – Retrospective Reflection
I have to applaud the vociferous, boisterous and supremely supportive Malawian fans for making the stadium atmosphere electric and intolerable for our Falconets which added a layer of excitement to the entire experience of watching the match.
It was also supremely soul satisfying for me to see our bravely bold girls rise to the occasion like loafs of bread being baked in the bakery by silencing the home fans with the goal that sealed world cup qualification.
Even the Malawian fans could scarcely believe how early their girls scored. As much as I hate to apportion blame, our number 13 center back was asleep on the wheel to allow her opponent out-jump her with our goalkeeper criminally and comically out of position as the Malawian header sailed unaided into the back of our unhappy net- 1:0 to Malawi in just 7 minutes. Earlier, our goalkeeper had actually produced a delightful low save from a fine free kick.
Again another Nigeria centre back failed to clear the ball compellingly, leaving the same lethal Malawian striker 1 v 1 with our goalkeeper in 56 minutes; the outcome was never in any doubt – 2:0 to Malawi at that point which left the Falconets staring down the gun barrel of failure.
Now, despite the dire scoreline at that point, I paused to realise that there was so much salient quality being unveiled right before my eyes by the Falconets without me consciously realising it. This was all down to how dogged, focused and professional our girls were going about their business under the circumstances.
This is essentially a textbook study audience manipulation and how to stylishly and surreptitiously overcome adversity which was achieved through incisive direction from the coach, acceptable execution from individual players, and apt application from the team at large.
Their formation often morphed from 4-2-4 to 4-2-1-3. Though we were often thin in midfield, Malawi failed to capitalise beyond the 2 goals they scored.
Rather, Nigerian wingers stretch the pitch to near breaking point, delivering delicious crosses at will, like floating debris, whilst almost scoring severally from said crosses. The first half alone produced 7 corner kicks to Nigeria and several near misses as the Malawian goalkeeper made several fingertips saves.
I even recall a Nigerian shot hitting the bar with the goalkeeper well and truly beaten and another shot beating the goalkeeper only for a Malawi defender making a goalmouth clearance, sparing their blushes.
An entire book could be written detailing the tricks, techniques and tactics deployed by the Falconets today which eventually bore fruit after our striker stole the ball from a confused Malawian defender before raising the roof of the net in anger with a fiedish shot as the Malawi goalkeeper elected to avoid contact with the beastly ball that was out for blood – 2:1 in 61 minutes and thus the scores remain for Nigeria to win 3:2 on aggregate.
We need our centre defenders to be more alert, otherwise it was a supremely admirable Falconets display in enemy territory in front of passionate home fans who powered their team all the way only for our girls to ruin their party and reduce their girls to tears after 90 minutes.
World Cup, here we come!
Yes Boss.
Ever optimistic Deo. I know you know if our attacker had not had that “instinct” to chase down Malawi defender and dispossessed her to get our consolatory goal, we would NOT HAVE SCORED A GOAL yesterday.
Forget the flurry of chances missed. Old story. And I doubt they would have won if it had gone to shootout.
My grouse is WE SHOULD NOT BE LOSING ON THE CONTINENT TO ANY NATION at this level.
We have not missed any edition since it began in 2002 (14 years ago).
Even if NFF is allergic to advancement and progressive improvements of our national teams, we should not have players who can’t score BABY AND NEOPHYTE FOOTBALL NATIONS IN 2026.
Oshoala burst on the scene from this level a decade ago and we still remember their performances with nostalgia.
We can’t be so deteriorating to lose to who na?
Your “comforting” review is a disservice lol.
Now, falcons for example are “scared” that they may be unable to pummel their opponents in July because other nations want to see us go under now. Why? We are “stagnant”, not evolving like Pep of man City.
For lower levels, defeats to any other nations is a misnomer.
I don’t “blame” NFF anymore why they don’t give “extensive camping” to the lower grades.
Falconets have been in camp almost throughout this year. Malawi just cobbled up a few days to the last round.
Yet, we couldn’t dominate any rounds of the qualifiers since the 2nd round.
It’s not good.
If NFF don’t have standard (they don’t, anyway), our coaches should na. Haba.
Long balls yesterday were so embarrassing.
I guess NFF has “right” to promote their players with these cadet teams because they are just for marketing purposes, not deliberate career advancement for the mould of players they pick.
Since 2002. We still play like newbies.
We could have crashed out easily yesterday and oh, heavens wouldn’t have fallen anyway.
It’s good the full match is on YT. In 2026, a “dissenting” fan (not Deo) will see what I saw lol.
We should grow oh.
Still playing 2002 football in 2026.
No wonder the last 2 or 3 falconets sets are nowhere near falcons even now that our senior women, most of, are aging fast.
Abi we really wan rely on foreign born players true true for falcons too like Eagles?
I agree with Deo as I watched the match too.The two centre backs in all honesty gifted Malawi the two goal.Elementary mistakes.The first from a mistimed header by the central defender from a lopped inswinger from just after the half way line on the right.Even at that,the goal keeper ought to run out and punch the ball.The second goal was also another elementary mistake from the same central defender who as a last woman elected to a high clearance with her feet and missed instead of simply heading the ball in to touch .This allowed their winger to run in unopposed and lobbed over a badly exposed keeper for their second goal.
The team missed Janet their injured goal poacher and in all sincerity from yesterday match,only two players stood out,kindness on the right and the skipper.Only those two deserved to be elevated to the main super falcon on the strength of yesterday game.
On the technical side, the young girls were simply overwhelmed by the veciferous,vocal and loud support from the stands.None of them may have played in such a hostile and intimidating stadium before as female teams in Nigeria basically play in empty stadiums.
Secondly,the Malawian coach opted to choke her defense with as many as 9 players denying our players time and space with the ball. Coach Aduku responded with quick counters, strong wing play to stretch the field and high press up the field.It was a combination of these three that pressured the Malawian captain to lose the ball for Oscar to score similar to what Osinhem did to the Cameroonian defender Who at 2024 Afcon.But with each attacking bliz, our defense was seriously out of shape structurally.
Now looking ahead.
1) Aduku need to seriously beef up this team with a more educated diaspora players before the world cup in September.
2) We are in serious trouble going forward if this team is the conveyor belt for the next super falcon.But let us wait for the main world cup.
3) I think the Super Falcon first match at July Wafcon is against Malawi.They have given us insights into what to expect.They have two or three world class players too.
4) Coach waldrum influence on the team will begin to wane from the next Wafcon as most of his girls are now 30 years or are fast approaching 30 years.Shockingly, there are no visible replacements for them.
5) Coach Madugu have not introduced any single diaspora players to the team since he took over, instead electing to bring in players from his beloved Nasarawa united who are often not up to scratch.Even the Chioma Okafor that was literally forced on him, he refused to cup tie even in dead rubber games at the last Wafcon.Meanwhile, other African countries are seriously fortifying their teams and making them competitive
5) The NFF should quickly commission coach Waldrum, Mercy Akide, Patience Avre, Coach Ufuoma( the coach that won us Wafcon in Cameroon) and other retired super Falcon players and Nigerian ex players based in the United States to look through the American collegiate system for Nigerian eligible players ,have training camps for them and have them play matches .This is what the Nigerian basketball federation is presently doing with D’ Tigress to replace aging and aged stars after the world cup in France this year.
6) Urgently look into the state of the female league in Nigeria,what I see presently is not impressive.
7) Let coach Madugu go after this year Wafcon and bring in a coach in the mould of Waldrum that will develop and place the team in the right trajectory for the next 10 years.
Otherwise, I see a steady decline after this year Wafcon.
Fantastic, constructive, productive. Thanks Gabo, great contribution.
Great points but you picked the wrong “horses” to fulfill them. Madugu has been in the team since Waldrum years. If he hasn’t stamped any authority or identity now, it’s a lost cause wanting a new direction from him – and this WAFCON is world cup qualifiers.
It will be tough. NFF is bereft of ideas so I expect no reforms from that body.
It is well sha
I read all the comments and felt very sorry for our situation. Nigeria football fans will always be the loser and bear the agonies of defeats. NFF or Nigeria football governing bodies does not lose anything. Whether we win or lose their estacode and other largesse are always waiting for them to collect.