Nigeria’s U20 women’s national team, the Falconets, have intensified preparations ahead of their crucial FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup final qualifying round first-leg encounter against Malawi, scheduled for Saturday, May 2.
Head Coach Moses Aduku has expressed strong confidence in the team’s readiness, revealing that the squad is in high spirits and fully focused on securing a positive result.
“We have a full squad on the ground, and everyone is focused on the task at hand. From now on, we will concentrate on team planning and tactical work. We are taking this very seriously, and I believe by the end of the match we will come out victorious,” Aduku said.
The team’s camp in Abuja has been buzzing with optimism, with no injury concerns reported and players displaying high morale during intensive training sessions. Aduku acknowledged the challenge of integrating players drawn from different clubs within a short period but maintained that the squad possesses the depth, athleticism, and quality required to deliver.
He also called on Nigerians to continue their support, both morally and spiritually, as the Falconets push for qualification.
To our supporters, we plead that you pray for us as you did when we played Rwanda and Senegal in the earlier rounds. I believe Nigeria will smile with a ticket to the World Cup after the two legs against Malawi,” he added.
Nigeria booked their place in the final qualifying round following a 3-1 aggregate victory over Senegal, having secured a 1-0 home win before sealing qualification with a 2-1 away triumph. The Falconets had earlier dominated Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate in the second round.
Malawi, meanwhile, comes into the fixture in strong form after defeating Guinea-Bissau 6-2 on aggregate. The southern Africans recorded a 5-1 win in Lilongwe after holding their opponents to a 1-1 draw away in the first leg.
The return leg of the tie is scheduled for May 9 in Lilongwe, with the overall winner earning a place at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.
