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Moses Aduku expresses strong believe in Falconets ahead of Rwanda clash
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, are primed for their 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup second-round, first-leg qualifying clash with Rwanda on Sunday.
The match will take place at the Kigali-Pele Stadium, kicking off at 3pm Rwanda time (2pm Nigeria time).
Head coach Moses Aduku has expressed strong belief in his squad’s ability to deliver.
Speaking to thenff.com ahead of the tie, Aduku revealed that his technical crew had studied Rwanda’s performances in their first-round games against Zimbabwe.
“We have had the opportunity to watch the Rwandan girls in their first-round games against Zimbabwe, and we now have an idea of how they play,” Aduku said.
“We will devise strategies to neutralize them and then go for victory. I know the quality of players I have in my team, and I have confidence in them.”
The coach also highlighted that starting the tie away from home could be advantageous.
“We are happy to be playing the first leg away, but at the end, what matters is the effort put into every match, not necessarily the venue,” he added.
The reverse fixture will be staged at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasinga, Ibadan, next Saturday.
The aggregate winner will progress to the next round of qualifiers as Nigeria bids to secure yet another ticket to the U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Nigeria’s Falconets are one of the most successful women’s youth teams in world football. They have qualified for every edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup since its inception in 2002.
Their record includes:
Two-time finalists (2010 in Germany, 2014 in Canada)
Multiple semi-final and quarter-final finishes
With this pedigree, Nigeria heads into the tie as overwhelming favourites to outclass Rwanda and extend their dominance on the continent.
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