Falconets head coach Moses Aduku has seen his bold confidence rewarded after Nigeria swept England aside 3-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
Before the Round of 16 showdown, Aduku acknowledged England’s quality but made it clear that his players were not intimidated by their opponents and were determined to continue their World Cup journey.
“For me as a coach, I believe in my team always. I’m confident that we’ll go through,” Aduku said before the encounter.
The coach had studied England extensively and expected a difficult contest, but said his players were responding positively to the tactical demands placed on them.
“They are a good side, but at this moment, all we told the girls is that the competition is just starting because this is a knockout phase,” he explained.
Aduku’s confidence was ultimately justified in emphatic fashion.
Tosin Rafiu gave Nigeria the perfect start with an eighth-minute opener before goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma produced a crucial penalty save to preserve the advantage.
Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei doubled Nigeria’s lead two minutes after the restart before Mary Mamudu completed the 3-0 victory in the 73rd minute.
Afterwards, Aduku immediately turned his attention to the next challenge.
“We are very happy with this victory,” he said. “We will go back to Łódź and aim for victory against either Poland or Colombia on Sunday.”
The victory continued a remarkable turnaround for a Falconets side that failed to win either of their opening two matches before thrashing New Caledonia 10-1 and then dismantling England.
For Aduku, however, reaching the last eight is only another step towards the ambition he declared before the knockout stage — winning the World Cup.
