Falconets World Cup hopes hit by visa denials for 15 players

Nigeria’s Falconets face a major squad problem ahead of the U20 Women’s World Cup after entry visas were granted to only 15 players in the final squad. The situation has put the team’s preparations and hopes of making a strong tournament showing under immediate pressure.

The Nigeria Football Federation and head coach Moses Aduku are working to secure visas for more players before the team travels to Poland. The federation has not issued an official statement on the matter.

The Falconets are due to begin their training camp in south-west Poland. With the tournament approaching, the visa issue leaves Nigeria with a severely limited group of available players for preparations and their opening fixture.

The U20 Women’s World Cup is scheduled to begin in Poland on September 5. Nigeria’s first group match is against Spain on September 7, giving the Falconets little room for disruption as they prepare to face one of the highly rated teams in the section.

China and New Caledonia complete Nigeria’s first-round group. The availability of additional players will therefore be central to Aduku’s plans as the Falconets try to assemble a full squad for the competition and their three group matches.

The visa denials have created uncertainty at a crucial stage of Nigeria’s campaign. Until more players receive clearance to enter Poland, the Falconets will continue preparing with only 15 members of their selected squad available to join the team.