Nigeria will carry Africa’s hopes into the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after the Falconets survived a difficult start and finished second in Group F, Soccernet.ng reports.
Four African teams entered the tournament, with Ghana, Tanzania and debutants Benin joining Nigeria. Only Nigeria made it through the group stage.
Nigeria recover after slow start
Moses Aduku’s Falconets lost their opening Group F game 2-0 to Spain at Arena Sosnowiec on September 7. Marisa García struck in the 13th minute before Alba Cerrato added Spain’s second in the 72nd minute.
Nigeria responded with a 0-0 draw against China on September 10. China hit the crossbar twice, but the Falconets defended well enough to take a point and keep their qualification hopes alive.
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They then exploded against New Caledonia in Łódź on September 13, winning 10-1. Ramotalahi Kareem and Winner David scored hat-tricks, while Rebecca Adegbemile added two goals. Seimeyeha Akekoromowei and Tosin Rafiu also scored. The victory lifted Nigeria to four points and second place in Group F.
Ghana, Tanzania and Benin bow out
Ghana started Group C with a 3-0 defeat to Ecuador but bounced back by beating South Korea 3-1 on September 9. That left the Black Princesses needing a result against France, but they were beaten 4-0. Ghana finished third with three points and a minus-two goal difference, ending their campaign.
Tanzania, appearing at the tournament for the first time, suffered three defeats in Group B. They lost 4-1 to Brazil, 5-1 to England and 6-0 to Canada. The final defeat in Katowice confirmed their elimination.
Benin also made its World Cup debut but finished bottom of Group A with one point. The Cheetahs drew 2-2 with Mexico, then suffered an 8-0 loss to Argentina and a 4-1 defeat by hosts Poland. Romaine Gandonou scored Benin’s final goal of the tournament against Poland in the 87th minute.
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Nigeria face England next
Nigeria’s reward for finishing second is a Round of 16 clash with England on September 17 at Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała. The match is scheduled for 2 pm local time.
England’s group-stage story
England finished second in Group B with four points. They opened with a 1-1 draw against Canada before beating Tanzania 5-1, with defender Rachel Maltby scoring a hat-trick, including two penalties.
Brazil then beat England 2-1 on September 11, with Gisele scoring the winner in the fifth minute of added time. England still advanced after finishing level with Canada on points, head-to-head record, goal difference and goals scored. Their superior team conduct score gave them second place.
Nigeria therefore face an England side that has scored seven goals in three games but conceded four. The Falconets will enter the tie with momentum from their 10-1 win, but England’s ability to recover from pressure will make the Bielsko-Biała contest a much tougher test.
