Nigeria’s Falconets are determined to make a significant impact at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, head coach Moses Aduku says.
Nigeria have qualified for every edition of the biennial tournament and will attempt to mount another serious challenge for honours when the competition begins.
The Falconets have been placed in Group F with Spain, China PR and tournament debutants New Caledonia. Their opening match is against Spain at Arena Sosnowiec on Monday.
Aduku says Nigeria’s two-time runners-up are approaching the tournament with the ambition of progressing deep into the competition and ensuring their latest appearance is remembered for the right reasons.
“We are very prepared. Nigeria has been [here] since the inception of the competition as qualifiers, but this time we want to make a difference,” Aduku told FIFA.
The coach acknowledged the quality of the teams in Nigeria’s group but insisted his players were ready to compete. He said the squad would focus on each fixture individually while aiming to secure a place in the knockout stages.
“We respect all the teams, they are all good teams. But we are here for business. We will take one game at a time and I believe that we will come out from the group.
“The players know that if they do very well, it is a good one for them to cross into the senior national team, so the girls are taking it very seriously.”
The possibility of earning recognition and progressing into the senior national team has added another incentive for the players, according to Aduku.
Nigeria head into the finals with encouraging results from their preparations. They recorded a 1-0 victory over hosts Poland before drawing 1-1 with Korea Republic in their final warm-up match.
Those performances have strengthened the team’s confidence ahead of their meeting with Spain, although Aduku says the squad is focused on turning its preparation into success on the tournament stage.
The coach also stressed the importance of the Falconets’ performance to supporters in Nigeria, where the team’s progress will be closely followed.
“If we do well, it would mean a great thing for Nigeria. Nigerians would be very happy with the team,” he added.
“The players are aware of that, so everybody is working very hard to see that we succeed.”
Nigeria’s record of qualifying for every edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup underlines their longstanding presence in the competition. However, Aduku wants this squad to go beyond participation and produce a campaign capable of making a lasting impression.
The Falconets will begin that mission against Spain on Monday, before facing China PR and New Caledonia in the remainder of their Group F schedule.