Nigeria captain Christianah Uzoma says the Falconets’ determination was key to their 3-0 victory over England in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Moses Aduku’s side produced a dominant display on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals, where they will face Colombia in ?odz on Sunday.
Tosin Rafiu, Janet Akekoromowei and Mary Mary Mamudu scored for Nigeria as they secured a convincing win and kept their hopes of winning the competition alive.
Uzoma was also central to the result, making a series of important saves during the match. Her most significant intervention came when she tipped Rachel Maltby’s penalty onto the crossbar.
The goalkeeper said the players had been determined to prevent their tournament from ending in the last 16.
“Our performance was good, and we told ourselves that we were not going to lose this game. We don’t want to go home. We came with determination,” Uzoma told FIFA.
Nigeria’s quarter-final against Colombia will determine who reaches the semi-finals, but Uzoma said the Falconets’ ambitions extend beyond the next round.
The captain said the team’s objective was to reach the final and compete for the trophy.
“We hope to get to the final. Our hope is to win the World Cup,” she added.