Falconets Snatch Slim Away Win in U-20 World Cup Qualifier

Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, kicked off their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali on Sunday.

The game marked the first outing for newly appointed head coach Moses Aduku, who took charge of the side in July. Aduku, also coach of Edo Queens, blended fresh talent from the Flamingoes with experienced U-20 players to create a balanced starting lineup.

Among those who featured were Christiana Uzoma, Janet Akekoromowei, former Flamingoes skipper Taiwo Afolabi, Kafayat Bashiru, and Faridat Abdulwahab.

The opening half was a tense battle, with both sides struggling to break the deadlock. Nigeria came closest in the 41st minute when Precious Oscar rounded the Rwandan goalkeeper after a clever pass from Abdulwahab, but failed to convert into an empty net.

The Falconets intensified their push after the restart, and their persistence finally paid off in the 70th minute. Alaba Olabiyi rose highest to meet a pinpoint corner delivery from Miracle Usani, nodding home what proved to be the decisive goal.

Nigeria’s defense held firm in the closing stages as Aduku’s side secured a crucial away victory to take back to Ibadan for the return leg.

The Falconets will host Rwanda in the second leg at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, on Saturday, where they will look to complete the job and book their ticket to the next round of qualifiers en route to the 2026 U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.