U20 Women’s World Cup: Falconets drawn against Germany, Korea Republic, Venezuela

Nigeria’s U20 Women’s national team, the Falconets, have been placed in Group D for this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, alongside three-time champions Germany, Venezuela, and Korea Republic.

The draw, held in Bogota on Wednesday, sets the stage for a challenging group for Nigeria, who reached the quarter-finals in the 2022 tournament.

The final competition, expanded to include 24 teams for the first time, will be held in four venues across three cities in Colombia, from August 31 to September 22, 2024.

In Group C, current cup holders Spain will face three-time winners USA, Paraguay, and Morocco. Group F features two-time winners Korea DPR, who will compete against Argentina, Costa Rica, and the Netherlands. Hosts Colombia are in Group A with Australia, Cameroon, and Mexico.

This marks the second consecutive U20 Women’s World Cup where Nigeria and South Korea were in the same group. During the 2022 tournament in Costa Rica, Nigeria secured a 1-0 victory over South Korea thanks to a late strike by Esther Onyenezide.

The Falconets had also defeated France and Canada to finish top of their group with maximum points before being knocked out by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.

Nigeria remains a dominant force in African women’s football. They qualified for Colombia 2024 by overcoming Mauritius U20, Tanzania, and Burundi. The Falconets have participated in all 11 editions of the U20 Women’s World Cup, with their best performances being runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2014.

Nigeria’s campaign in Colombia will kick off against the Korea Republic, followed by matches against Germany and Venezuela to complete the group stage. The expanded 24-team tournament promises intense competition as teams vie for the prestigious title.