Falconets head coach Moses Aduku has challenged his players to be clinical when Nigeria faces New Caledonia in their final Group F match at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
Nigeria entered the decisive fixture with one point from two matches after a 2-0 defeat to Spain and a goalless draw against China.
The Falconets therefore needed a strong victory to improve their goal difference and strengthen their chances of reaching the Round of 16.
New Caledonia, appearing at the tournament for the first time, had lost their opening two matches heavily, falling 5-0 to China and 11-0 to Spain.
Despite those results, Aduku warned his players against underestimating the debutants.
The coach said the Falconets were in good spirits and had no injury concerns ahead of the encounter.
“The results in their last two matches notwithstanding, we will not underrate our opponents.”
Aduku said the team’s priority would be to convert its opportunities and produce the goals required to keep the World Cup campaign alive.
“We all know the implication of our not scoring goals on Sunday, so we will go in there and focus on scoring goals to stand a chance of reaching the next round.”
Falconets under pressure to deliver
Nigeria’s campaign began with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Spain before the team held China to a goalless draw.
Aduku admitted after the China match that his players needed to become more clinical in front of goal.
The result left Nigeria with one point and made the New Caledonia fixture crucial to its knockout-stage ambitions.
The Falconets are two-time runners-up at the U-20 Women’s World Cup, reaching the final in 2010 and 2014. They have also qualified for every edition of the competition since its inception.
Their final group match therefore carried significant importance as Nigeria sought to extend its campaign in Poland.
