Falconets Must Win Against China to Keep Hopes Alive

Nigeria U-20 women’s national team coach Moses Aduku has said that the Falconets are “condemned to win” against China. They need to revive their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign in Poland.

The Falconets lost 2-0 to Spain in their first Group F match. This puts them under pressure before their second group game against China.

Aduku said the loss was disappointing. But he stressed that his players have quickly focused on the important match. They know that losing again would hurt their chances of qualifying.

Speaking to the media before the game, Aduku said the Falconets understand what is at stake. They have been working on fixing the mistakes from their first game. “Yea, we lost the first game. Initially, we were not happy but this is football; you win some, lose some, draw some.

“For the second game, we are condemned to win to stay afloat in the competition. Therefore, we are giving our all. The girls are aware of what is at stake. Anything short of a win will not give us a good result,” Aduku said.

Aduku Identifies Areas for Improvement

The Falconets had trouble creating and converting clear chances against Spain. Their communication also broke down at key moments.

Aduku admitted these issues. He said the team has been using training sessions to fix their mistakes before the China match. “Some of the lessons we picked from the last game were that we did not convert the few chances we had. We have learnt our lesson, we need to score goals.

“Secondly, our communication was poor, but the girls have improved so far. We had a few lapses, and we’ve corrected them in training. We are good to go.”

Against Spain, Nigeria could not take control of the match. They were punished by the 2022 champions, who scored through Marisa Garcia and Alba Cerrato.

The Falconets must show a much better attacking performance against China if they want to get the three points that Aduku says they need.

Group F Remains Open, Says Aduku

Despite the bad start, the Nigerian coach thinks the group is still open. He believes the Falconets can get back in the race with a good result.

For Aduku, things will be clearer after the second round of matches. “For me, I think our group is still open because it’s just the first game. It is after the second game that we’ll begin to think about which position we are going to take.

“From tomorrow’s game, we’ll begin to know if we are first, second or third.”

With New Caledonia also in Group F, Nigeria will have another chance after the China match to fight for a place in the knockout rounds.

Aduku Dismisses Concerns Over NFF Changes

The Falconets coach also responded to questions about changes within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). He insisted that these changes have not affected the team’s focus or preparations.

Aduku said there is no vacuum in the federation. The team continues to receive the needed support before this crucial match. “Of course, everything is in place. We are focused, and there is no vacuum. There are people running the federation, and they’ve been talking to us.

“Everything is all right. The players are good, and we are focused on tomorrow’s game,” he said.

Akekoromowei Boost for Falconets

Meanwhile, the Falconets got a major boost with star striker Janet Akekoromowei joining the team in Poland. She recently signed with SL Benfica Ladies.

Her arrival gives Aduku another goal-scoring option at a time when Nigeria needs goals to keep their campaign alive. Akekoromowei has linked up with the squad ahead of the China match, providing the Falconets with another attacking weapon as they look for their first win.

The Benfica forward could even start against China. For the Falconets, the goal is simple: win against China to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive. Anything less could leave their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign hanging by a thread.