Falconets head coach Christopher Danjuma has expressed confidence in his Nigeria U20 girls as the team intensifies preparations for the 2024 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals in Colombia starting from August 31 to September 22.
Falconets will contend with Germany, Venezuela, and the Korea Republic in Group D of the first tournament to welcome 24 teams, an increase from 16 teams.
Their matches will take place in the Colombian capital, Bogotá, and Cali.
“The girls have been working very hard, and I am delighted at the level of improvement I have seen in the squad. There is greater understanding and ambition to accomplish. At an individual level, they continue to grow and show their determination to excel with a focus on the larger picture,” Danjuma said.
“We must be very ready from the first blast of the referee’s whistle in Colombia, as there will not be many minutes to make mistakes and adjust against the Korean Republic and Germany. Those two games will be key to our progress to the knockout rounds. We also cannot afford to underrate Venezuela – they went through the qualifying rounds. The important thing is that we must bring our ‘A’ game to the party in all three matches.”
Stars players like Salma Paralluelo of Spain, Brazil’s Marta, USA’s Megan Rapinoe, and Nigeria’s record six-time African Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala have all graced the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.
Oshoala was the top scorer when the Falconets reached the final of the championship in Canada 10 years ago, narrowly losing to Germany.
With the field expanded to 24 teams, Africa now has four representatives: Nigeria, Morocco, Cameroon, and Ghana. Matches will take place in four venues across three cities (Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali).
There will be two venues in Bogotá – Estadio El Campín and Estadio El Techo. The Estadio Atanasio Girardot in Medellín and the Estadio Pascual Guerrero in Cali are the other venues.
The team will fly out of the country for a two-week final camping programme in Colombia before their first match of the tournament against the Korean Republic in Bogotá on September 1
Other matches are scheduled against Germany at the El Techo Stadium in Bogotá on Wednesday, September 4, and against Venezuela in Cali three days later.
Nigeria also reached the final of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in 2010, losing to host nation Germany. Four years later, the Falconets made the semi-finals in Japan.
