Nigeria’s U-20 women’s football team, the Falconets, are gearing up for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia with two crucial friendly matches against Australia and Mexico. The tournament kicks off on August 31, 2024.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced that the Falconets, led by coach Christopher Danjuma, will take on Australia on Friday, August 23, followed by a clash with Mexico three days later.
Upon their arrival in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital, on Sunday evening, the Falconets received a warm and vibrant welcome. Traditional dancers, flag-waving supporters, and members of the Local Organising Committee for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024 greeted the team.
As two-time silver medallists, the Falconets are preparing for a challenging tournament. After a light training session on Monday to help the players recover from their journey, the team intensified their preparations on Tuesday, focusing on mounting a serious challenge for the trophy during the 23-day competition.
Mexico, one of Nigeria’s upcoming opponents, is making their 10th appearance at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, having missed only one previous edition. Nigeria, on the other hand, is one of only four nations—alongside the USA, Brazil, and Germany—to have qualified for every edition of the tournament since its inception in 2002.
This year’s tournament has been expanded to feature 24 nations, including several debutants like Austria, Chile, and Cameroon. The competition will run from August 31 to September 22, with Nigeria placed in Group D, where they will face Germany, Korea Republic, and Venezuela.
