Olawale Ajimotokan
Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, will be aiming to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup when they face England’s Young Lionesses this afternoon at the Stadion Miejski in Bielsko-Biała, Poland.
The Round of 16 clash presents Nigeria with another opportunity to advance in the competition and continue their pursuit of a deep run at the tournament.
The Falconets booked their place in the knockout stage in emphatic fashion, thrashing New Caledonia 10-1 in their final Group F fixture.
The result lifted Nigeria to second place in the group behind Spain, after Moses Aduku’s side had earlier lost 2-0 to Spain and played out a goalless draw with China PR.
Aduku will once again look towards his attacking options, with SL Benfica forward Janet Akekoromowei among the players who impressed during the record-breaking victory.
Winner Onajite David scored a hat-trick against New Caledonia, while Ramotalahi Kareem was also among the scorers as Nigeria produced a powerful second-half display to seal qualification in style.
England, meanwhile, reached the Round of 16 after finishing third in Group B behind Brazil.
The Young Lionesses opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Canada before recording a 5-1 victory over Tanzania, and then suffered a 1-2 reverse against Brazil in their final group game.
They ultimately finished above Canada on goals scored after the two teams ended level on points.
The meeting promises to be a demanding test for the Falconets, with both teams now just one victory away from the quarter-finals.
If Nigeria progress, they will face either hosts Poland or Colombia in the last eight, adding further significance to Thursday’s encounter as the knockout phase gathers momentum.