Falconets aim for victory against China

After losing 2-0 to Spain in their first match at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, Nigeria’s Falconets will look to bounce back against China in their second Group F game today, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Falconets, who have won silver twice, return to the Stadion Sosnowiec for another match. They understand that another loss could hurt their chances of moving to the knockout stage.

China, on the other hand, is feeling strong after beating New Caledonia 5-0 in their opening game. This win puts them at the top of Group F, ahead of 2022 champions Spain, based on goal difference.

Nigeria and China have faced each other twice before in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals. In 2006, during the tournament in Russia where the name changed to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, China beat the Falconets 3-0 in a group match held at the Podmoskovie Stadium.

In 2018, they met again in France. A late own goal by a Chinese defender helped Nigeria secure a 1-1 draw in Dinan-Léhon, allowing the Falconets to progress to the quarter-finals.

As they prepare for today’s match, Falconets coach Moses Aduku is optimistic that his team can recover from their loss to Spain.

“We have put the match against Spain behind us and are focusing totally on the clash with China. The players are ready to come out stronger for the match against China,” Aduku said.

A win against China today would improve their chances of advancing from the group. The Falconets, who were runners-up in 2010 and 2014, aim to take it a step further in Poland and secure Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title.

The Falconets, Brazil, and the United States are the only three teams to have played in every edition of the tournament since Germany did not qualify for this year’s competition.