Falconets prepare for tough match against England

Falconets coach Moses Aduku has told his team to get ready for a tough match against England in the last 16 of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. Nigeria secured their spot in the knockout stage after a 10-1 win over New Caledonia on Sunday, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Nigeria needed to win to move forward after losing 2-0 to Spain and drawing 0-0 with China in their first two Group F matches. The team responded strongly and booked their place in the last 16.

Ramotalahi Kareem started the scoring with a penalty kick. After that, Nigeria took full control of the game. Kareem completed her hat-trick, and substitute Winner Onajite David also scored three goals as the Falconets dominated.

New Caledonia managed to score one goal thanks to Joceline Kourevi, who got her team's first goal of the tournament with a long-range shot.

Aduku was pleased with the outcome but noted that Nigeria needs to improve their defense against England.

“We’re really happy with the goals we scored. We wanted to get through to the last 16, and we’ve shown that we can do it. We’ve shipped a few too many goals in this tournament so far, so we’ll be looking to shore things up at the back,” Aduku said.

England now stands between the Falconets and a spot in the quarter-finals. Aduku expects a tough match ahead.

“It’s going to be a tough test. If you want to be crowned champions, you’ve got to win every game. We’re ready for the challenge,” he added.

Nigeria will play against England on Thursday at Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała in Poland.

The Falconets have participated in every edition of the competition since it started in 2002. They are in Group F along with Spain, New Caledonia, and China.

Nigeria has won silver medals twice, finishing as runners-up in 2010 and 2014. They also took home bronze in 2012. They lost to Germany in both finals.

Nigeria, Brazil, and the United States are the only three countries that have played in every edition of the tournament, as Germany did not qualify this year.