*Falconets, after arrival in the city of Trzebnica in Poland on Tuesday.(Photo Credit: NFF)

Falconets

Abuja, August 26, 2026 (www.crestnewsonline.ng) Nigeria’s under-20 women national team, the Falconets, on Wednesday in Poland stepped up preparations for the 2026 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup which begins next month.

The two-time World Cup silver-medallists, after Tuesday’s arrival, have settled into their training camp in Trzebnica, Poland and wasted no time beginning training on Wednesday at the Stadion Miejski, Fair Play Arena.

The Falconets immediately resumed their training programme, focusing on tactical organisation, technical execution, physical conditioning and team cohesion as they continue to build towards the championship.

As part of their final preparations, the Falconets will play two international friendly matches against Poland on Friday and South Korea on Tuesday.

The matches are expected to provide valuable opportunities for the players to acclimatize further to the conditions in Poland.

They will also help test them against different styles of play, sharpen their tactical understanding and gain experience against quality opposition on the world stage.

The friendly game against the host nation on Friday will take place at the Municipal Stadium in Brzeg, and commence at noon local time.

The clash with the Koreans is scheduled for the Remes Resort & Spa Football Stadium, and will kick off at 4 p.m. local time.

The friendly fixtures will also enable the technical crew assess the team’s progress and make necessary adjustments ahead of the World Cup.

Moreover, the matches will help the players adapt to the pace, intensity and demands of international competition.

Already, the duo of captain Joy Igbokwe and defender Faridat Abdulwahab, who were eventually not granted visas, have been replaced by Vivian Kachi and Alaba Olabiyi.

Head Coach Moses Aduku and his technical crew have continued to demand maximum commitment from the players as the team fine-tunes its approach ahead of the tournament.

Nigeria will compete in Group F alongside Spain, China PR and New Caledonia, with the Falconets facing Spain on September 7, China PR on September 10 and New Caledonia on September 13.

Nigeria, runners-up at the 2010 and 2014 editions, will be aiming to go a step further in Poland and secure the country’s first-ever FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup title.(www.crestnewsonline.ng)

*Edited by Olawale Lawanson Alabi