By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Nigeria’s U20 Women’s National Team, the Falconets, are confident of sealing progress to the third round of the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup African qualifiers when they face Rwanda in Ibadan on Saturday.
The two-time World Cup silver medallists hold a slim advantage after a 1-0 first-leg win in Kigali, and will look to capitalise on home support at the Lekan Salami Stadium to book their spot in the next stage.
Head coach Moses Aduku has been drilling his players hard since their return from Rwanda, with Thursday’s training session marked by high intensity and focus.
Aduku emphasised tactical discipline, sharper coordination, and more clinical finishing — areas that proved decisive in the narrow away win.
The squad, buoyed by momentum and lessons from the first leg, have vowed to put up a commanding display in front of their fans.
Victory on Saturday would move the Falconets a step closer to another World Cup finals appearance, as they aim to extend Nigeria’s proud tradition as one of the continent’s strongest forces in women’s youth football.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
