Nigeria’s Falconets put themselves in a strong position to qualify for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after beating Malawi 2-0 in the first leg of their final qualifying tie, Soccernet.ng reports.
The match was played on Saturday at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, where the hosts delivered a disciplined and efficient performance, especially in the second half.
Despite dominating large parts of the opening period, Nigeria could not find a breakthrough before the interval. Malawi stayed compact and organised at the back, frustrating the Falconets and keeping the score level at 0-0 heading into half-time.
However, the game quickly turned in Nigeria’s favour just moments after the restart.
In the 46th minute, the Falconets finally got the goal their pressure deserved. A dangerous cross into the penalty area caused confusion in Malawi’s defence, and Maureen Kenneth accidentally turned the ball into her own net while trying to clear. The early second-half goal gave Nigeria the lead and lifted the tempo inside the stadium.
With confidence growing, the Falconets pushed forward again and were rewarded with a second goal in the 57th minute. Kindness Ifeanyi showed composure and intelligence in attack, collecting a well-weighted pass from Faridat Abdulwahab. She calmly rounded the Malawian goalkeeper before slotting the ball into an empty net to make it 2-0.
That goal gave Nigeria breathing space and full control of the contest. From that point, the Falconets managed the game well, limiting Malawi’s attacking chances and protecting their two-goal advantage until the final whistle.
Falconets eye Poland as qualifiers continue across Africa
The result means Nigeria now lead 2-0 on aggregate ahead of the return leg, which will be played on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi.
The winner over the two legs will secure one of Africa’s four qualification spots for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, set to take place in Poland later this September.
The Falconets also received a financial boost after the match, as Remo Stars FC president, Hon. Kunle Soname, rewarded the team with one million naira for each goal scored, recognising their strong performance on home soil.
Elsewhere across the continent, other first-leg matches in the final qualifying round also took place on the same day. Cameroon defeated Tanzania 3-1 at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé, while Côte d’Ivoire secured a narrow 1-0 win over Benin at the Stade d’Ebimpé in Abidjan.
One more first-leg fixture remains, with Ghana set to host Uganda on Sunday at the Accra Sports Stadium.
All return-leg matches will be played between May 8 and May 10, 2026. At the end of those ties, the four teams that will represent Africa at the tournament in Poland will be confirmed.
The focus for Nigeria is now firmly on finishing the job in Lilongwe. With a two-goal advantage already secured, the Falconets have given themselves a solid platform, but they will know the task is only halfway complete.
