Falconets set Poland, Korea Republic friendlies for 2026 U-20 World Cup

Nigeria’s Falconets will face Poland and Korea Republic in friendly matches before the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The tournament will be held in Poland from September 5 to 27, with Nigeria scheduled to leave Abuja on August 24 for the final stage of its preparations.

Head coach Moses Aduku will use the two fixtures to examine his squad against strong international opposition. The matches are expected to help Nigeria improve its tactical structure, physical readiness and team balance before the competitive campaign begins.

The meeting with Korea Republic will also renew a recent rivalry at this level. Nigeria defeated the Asian side 1-0 at the 2024 U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, with Flourish Sabastine scoring the only goal. The Falconets later reached the round of 16 in that tournament, where Japan ended their run with a 2-1 victory.

Nigeria secured its place at the 2026 finals by beating Malawi 3-2 on aggregate in the final round of African qualifying. That qualification maintained the Falconets’ record of appearing at every edition of the competition since it began in 2002.

Aduku’s team has been placed in Group F with Spain, China PR and New Caledonia. Nigeria will open against Spain at Arena Sosnowiec on September 7, meet China at the same venue on September 10 and complete the group stage against New Caledonia at Stadion Miejski ŁKS on September 13.

The Falconets have finished as World Cup runners-up twice, in 2010 and 2014, and reached the semi-finals in 2012. Their upcoming friendlies will give the coaching staff a final chance to assess the squad before a tournament featuring 24 teams across four Polish host cities.