U-20 Women’s World Cup: Falconets step up preparations for Malawi clash

Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, have intensified preparations ahead of their decisive first-leg encounter against Malawi in the final qualifying round for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Head coach Moses Aduku expressed strong confidence in his squad’s readiness, revealing that all players are fit and fully focused on the task.

Read Also: U-20 WWC: Falconets beat Senegal, set up Malawi clash

“We have a full squad on ground, and everyone is focused on the task at hand. From now, we will concentrate on team planning and tactical work. We are taking this very seriously, and I believe by the end of the match we will come out victorious,” Aduku said.

The team’s camp has been buoyed by high morale, with no injury concerns reported. Aduku acknowledged the challenge of integrating players from different clubs within a limited timeframe but maintained optimism about building a cohesive and competitive unit ahead of the fixture.

He also called on Nigerians to rally behind the team, just as they did in previous rounds.

“To our supporters, we plead that you pray for us as you did when we played Rwanda and Senegal. I believe Nigeria will smile with a ticket to the World Cup after the two legs against Malawi,” he added.

The Falconets have been undergoing intensive training sessions in Abuja as they fine-tune tactics and strategies for the crucial tie. The first leg is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, while the return leg will be played in Lilongwe on May 9.

Nigeria booked their place in the final qualifying round with an impressive 3-1 aggregate victory over Senegal, following a 1-0 home win and a 2-1 away triumph. They had earlier dominated Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate in the previous round.