FALCONETS SECURE CONFIDENCE-BOOSTING WIN OVER POLAND BEFORE WORLD CUP

Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, recorded a narrow 1-0 victory over hosts Poland in a friendly match as they continued preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

The encounter was played on Friday at the Municipal Stadium in Brzeg, Poland, with Mary Mamudu scoring the only goal of the match in first-half stoppage time.

Mamudu’s late first-half strike proved decisive as the Falconets held on to secure a valuable victory against the tournament hosts.

The result provides a timely boost for coach Moses Aduku’s side as the team enters the final stage of its preparations for the global tournament.

Nigeria, two-time runners-up at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, will have another opportunity to test its readiness when the Falconets face the Republic of Korea in their final friendly on Tuesday, September 1.

The team will then turn its attention to the main competition, where it is scheduled to begin its campaign against Spain on September 7.

The Falconets will face China on September 10 before completing their group-stage fixtures against New Caledonia on September 13.

The victory over Poland will give the Nigerian players additional confidence ahead of the tournament, particularly as they prepare to face strong opposition in the group stage.

For coach Aduku, the friendly also provided an opportunity to assess his players and fine-tune the team's tactical approach before the World Cup begins.

The Falconets will now look to build on the positive result against Poland and deliver another strong performance in their final warm-up game against South Korea.

Nigeria will be hoping that the team's recent preparations translate into a strong World Cup campaign as it continues its pursuit of a first-ever FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup title.