Nigeria’s U20 women’s football team, the Falconets, will commence a two-week final training camp in Bogota, Colombia, starting Sunday, in preparation for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, which kicks off on August 31.
The Falconets, two-time finalists in the competition, have a strong history in the tournament, reaching the semi-finals in Japan 12 years ago and advancing to the quarter-finals in 2006, 2018, and 2022. They secured one of Africa’s tickets to this year’s finals by defeating Tanzania and Burundi in the qualifiers.
Led by Coach Christopher Musa Danjuma, the team spent four weeks in Abuja for the first phase of their preparations, playing a series of friendly matches, losing only once.
“I want to thank the NFF for arranging the two-week camping in Colombia. This will help the team acclimatize and become familiar with the surroundings before the championship begins. We will make the best use of this opportunity,” Danjuma said, speaking to thenff.com before the team’s departure for Bogota via Turkish Airlines.
Sports Minister John Owan Enoh, who met with the squad on Friday, urged them to aim for the ultimate prize, having previously won silver medals and reached the semi-finals.
“Your predecessors have done well, reaching the final twice and the semi-finals once. Now, it is your time to take Nigeria further by winning the trophy. I commend the NFF for arranging this final camp in Colombia, which will ensure you are fully prepared for the tournament. The entire nation is behind you, and I believe you will make us proud.”
The Falconets have a long history of participation in the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, competing in every edition since its inception in 2002, with appearances in Thailand 2004, Russia 2006, Chile 2008, Germany 2010, and more recently in Costa Rica 2022. The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the global pandemic.
This year, Nigeria has been drawn in Group D alongside Korea Republic, Germany, and Venezuela. The Falconets will play their opening match against the Korean Republic on September 1 at the Estadio Metropolitano de Techo in Bogota, followed by a clash with Germany on September 4. Their final group game will be against Venezuela on September 7 at the Estadio Pascual Guerrero in Cali.
With the tournament expanding to 24 teams, Africa now has four representatives: Nigeria, Morocco, Cameroon, and Ghana. Matches will be held across four venues in three cities—Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali—with the Falconets determined to make a strong start in their bid to reach the knockout stages.
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