Poland 2026: 16 of 28 Falconets arrive at Abuja camp as Nigeria steps up preparations for FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup

Nigeria’s national under-20 women’s team, the Falconets, have begun their final preparations for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2026, with 16 of the 28 invited players already at their camp in Abuja ahead of the tournament in Poland.

Coach Moses Aduku wasted no time in putting the team to work as intensive training sessions began immediately upon the players’ arrival.

The remaining guest players are expected to join camp in the coming days as preparations gain momentum.

The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup will take place in Poland from September 5-27, with Nigeria looking to build on its proud history in the competition.

The Falconets qualified for the world tournament after an impressive qualifying campaign.

They thrashed Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate in the second round, beat Senegal 3-2 over two legs in the penultimate round and booked their ticket to the World Cup with another 3-2 aggregate victory against Malawi in the final qualifying round.

Nigeria remains the only African nation to have qualified for every edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup since the tournament was introduced in 2002.

The Falconets are also among the most successful teams in the competition, having finished runners-up in 2010 and 2014, and reaching the semi-finals in 2012.

In the 2024 edition in Colombia, the team defeated Korea Republic 1-0 in the group stage before being eliminated in the round of 16 after a loss to Japan.

For the 2026 tournament, Nigeria will be drawn in Group F alongside Spain, China PR and Paraguay.

With preparations underway in Abuja, the Falconets will aim to arrive in Poland fully prepared in their quest for a historic first FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title.