The Nigeria U-20 women’s national team, Falconets, have clarified that injuries rather than visa complications were responsible for some players missing the squad’s initial trip to Poland ahead of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Falconets media officer Zulfat Abubakar clarified as the Nigerian team settled into its World Cup base in Trzebnica, following reports and speculation that visa difficulties had affected the composition of the squad travelling to Poland.
According to Abubakar, five players who were initially expected to be part of the squad were ruled out because of injuries and have already been replaced.
“It was injuries and not visa problems that caused some of the players to miss the trip,” Abubakar said.
“The injured players, five of them, have already been replaced.”
The clarification comes as Nigeria intensifies preparations for the tournament, with the Falconets arriving in Poland and settling at Hotel Trzebnica, where they will remain until September 3 before moving to the official FIFA hotel.
Abubakar also revealed that the squad is expected to receive further reinforcement from Europe, with more players based abroad joining the team as preparations continue.
Among those expected to feature prominently is Benfica striker Janet Akekoromowei, who has already arrived in Poland directly from Portugal. Her presence is a major boost for coach Moses Aduku, particularly after the striker played an important role during Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
Akekoromowei had suffered an injury during Nigeria’s third-round qualifying tie against Senegal earlier this year, forcing her out of the first leg. The NFF had subsequently confirmed that she was unavailable for the return match in Dakar.
With the striker now back with the squad in Poland, the Falconets have another important attacking option as they prepare for a difficult group-stage campaign.
Abubakar also confirmed that Nigeria will play two friendly matches against the host nation, Poland, and South Korea as part of the final preparations for the tournament.
The games are expected to provide coach Moses Aduku with valuable opportunities to assess his squad against quality opposition while making final tactical adjustments before the competition begins.
Nigeria are entering the tournament with considerable expectations after finishing runners-up at the 2010 and 2014 editions. The Falconets remain the only African nation to have appeared at every edition of the competition since its inception.
The team secured its place in Poland after defeating Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate, overcoming Senegal 3-1 on aggregate and then edging Malawi 3-2 on aggregate in the final qualifying round.
Coach Moses Aduku has already made it clear that Nigeria are not travelling simply to participate, with the team targeting the country’s first-ever FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title.
The Falconets will begin their Group F campaign against Spain on September 7 before facing China PR on September 10 and New Caledonia on September 13.
With the injury situation now clarified and key players such as Akekoromowei joining the squad in Poland, attention is firmly turning towards the final stage of preparation.
For the Falconets, the message is clear: the setbacks have been managed, the squad is taking shape, and Nigeria’s young stars are now focused on making their mark on the world stage.
