Nigeria U-20 women’s national team coach Moses Aduku has vowed that the Falconets will not travel to Poland merely to participate at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, insisting that his team is going to compete for the trophy.
Aduku spoke with confidence as the Falconets departed Nigeria for Poland following an intensive final phase of preparations in Abuja, where the team worked on physical fitness, tactical discipline, teamwork and mental readiness.
The Nigerian coach believes his players are adequately prepared for the challenge ahead and has challenged them to approach every match with the mentality of a team capable of becoming world champions.
“We are going to the World Cup to compete and also win the tournament,” Aduku said.
The ambition is significant for a Nigerian side that has twice reached the final of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup but has never lifted the trophy. The Falconets finished runners-up in 2010 and 2014 and remain the only African team to have appeared at every edition of the competition since its launch in 2002.
Aduku has therefore made it clear that simply reaching the knockout stages will not be enough for his players.
“We are going there to fight for the country and deliver the World Cup trophy,” he said.
The coach’s confidence has been building throughout the preparation period. Earlier in the year, while the Falconets were still battling through qualification, Aduku said the immediate target was to secure the World Cup ticket before turning attention towards winning the competition.
That first objective was achieved after Nigeria overcame Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate, defeated Senegal 3-1 on aggregate and then edged Malawi 3-2 on aggregate in the final qualifying round.
The team has since intensified its preparations, including planned international friendly matches against Poland and the Republic of Korea to give Aduku an opportunity to assess his players against quality opposition before the tournament.
Aduku has also been demanding a strong mentality from his players, stressing that physical fitness alone will not be enough to overcome the best teams in the world.
“We want to instill a winning mentality in the players,” he said during the team’s preparations, while also emphasising the need for the squad to reach peak physical condition.
The Falconets will begin their Group F campaign against Spain on September 7 before facing China on September 10 and New Caledonia on September 13.
Nigeria’s record at the competition means expectations will be high, but Aduku believes the players should embrace the pressure rather than fear it.
“This team has been prepared to compete at the highest level,” he said.
“We are going to Poland with a strong winning mentality and the ambition of challenging for the trophy.”
With Nigeria still searching for its first FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title after two heartbreaking final defeats, Aduku and his players now have an opportunity to rewrite that history.
And the message from the Falconets coach is unmistakable: Nigeria are going to Poland to compete, to fight and, ultimately, to win the World Cup.
