Head coach of Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, Moses Aduku, says the team is making encouraging progress in camp ahead of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, but has identified poor finishing as the key area requiring urgent improvement.
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The Falconets are currently in Abuja preparing for the tournament, which will be staged in Poland in September, with the coaching crew using a series of friendly matches against local academy sides to assess the squad’s readiness.
Aduku expressed satisfaction with the players’ commitment and response to training, saying the atmosphere in camp has been highly encouraging.
“The girls have responded very well to training, and I’m impressed with their attitude and commitment. They have shown a strong desire to improve every day,” Aduku said.
Despite the positives, the coach admitted the team must become more clinical in front of goal if they are to compete successfully against the world’s best teams.
“Our major concern at the moment is finishing. We’re creating opportunities, but we need to convert more of our chances. It’s something we’re working on, and I’m confident we’ll get it right before the tournament begins,” he added.
Nigeria remains one of the most successful nations in the history of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, having reached the final on two occasions and consistently producing players who have progressed to the Super Falcons. The Falconets will be hoping to build on that tradition as they target another deep run in Poland.
The ongoing training camp has also provided the technical crew with an opportunity to evaluate combinations across the squad, with the friendly matches serving as a platform to fine-tune tactics and assess individual performances ahead of the final squad selection.
Preparations will continue in Abuja in the coming weeks as the Falconets intensify their build-up to the World Cup, with Aduku and his coaching staff aiming to address the team’s finishing concerns before Nigeria begins its campaign in Poland.
