Nigeria’s U20 women’s team, the Falconets, will face England on Thursday as they seek a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup at Stadion Miejski in Bielsko-Biala, Poland.
The Round of 16 match gives Nigeria a chance to build on their impressive qualification for the knockout stage and continue their pursuit of a deep run in the tournament.
The Falconets secured their place in the last 16 in style, thrashing New Caledonia 10-1 in their final Group F match.
The victory lifted Nigeria to second place behind Spain after Moses Aduku’s side had earlier lost 2-0 to the European champions and drawn 0-0 with China PR.
Aduku will again look to his attacking options, with SL Benfica forward Janet Akekoromowei among the players who impressed in the record-breaking victory.
Winner Onajite David scored a hat-trick against New Caledonia, while Ramotalahi Kareem also scored as Nigeria produced a dominant second-half performance to secure qualification.
England seek another knockout-stage victory
England reached the Round of 16 after finishing third in Group B behind Brazil.
The Young Lionesses opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Canada, followed by a 5-1 victory over Tanzania. They then lost 2-1 to Brazil in their final group match.
England finished above Canada on goals scored after both teams ended the group stage level on points.
Thursday’s meeting will be a test of Nigeria’s attacking momentum against an England side that has also shown its ability to score heavily in the tournament.
Both teams are one victory away from the quarter-finals, where the winner will face either hosts Poland or Colombia.
With the knockout stage now underway, the Falconets will be seeking to turn their record-breaking group-stage victory into another decisive step towards the latter stages of the competition.