Moses Aduku Pleased with Falconets’ Progress Ahead of Senegal World Cup Qualifier

Head Coach Moses Aduku has expressed satisfaction with the progress of Nigeria’s U20 girls, the Falconets, as the two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup silver medallists continue preparations for their third-round FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying clash against Senegal.

The Falconets have enjoyed productive weeks in camp, with all invited players present and responding positively to training sessions. The technical crew has focused on tactical organisation, team cohesion and overall strategy, while the players have shown commitment, discipline and intensity throughout the preparations.

Aduku stressed that attention remains firmly on the upcoming qualifier, underlining the importance of securing a strong result in the first leg on home soil. He noted that friendly matches have played a key role in assessing and refining the team’s system of play, with emphasis on improving attacking efficiency while maintaining defensive balance. Performances so far, he said, have been encouraging.

Nigeria will host the first leg at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, on Saturday, 7 February, with the return leg scheduled for Saturday, 14 February in Dakar, Senegal.

The Falconets, who also reached the semi-finals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Japan 14 years ago, are expected to travel to Ibadan on 27 January to intensify preparations ahead of the fixture. While refraining from making bold predictions, Aduku expressed confidence in the quality and mentality of his players, pointing to their competitive displays in recent friendly matches. He reaffirmed the team’s determination to make the nation proud and secure qualification.

The winner of the Nigeria–Senegal tie will advance to the final round of the qualifying series, where they will face the winner of the Guinea-Bissau versus Malawi fixture for one of Africa’s four slots at the final tournament.

The 12th edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup will be staged in Poland from 5–27 September 2026.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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