Tag: Colombia 2024

Head Coach Christopher Musa Danjuma said Nigeria’s U20 girls, Falconets, will go all the way in search of triumph over their Mexican counterparts, when both sides clash in a friendly game on the turf of Club Banco de la República in Bogota on Monday evening.

 “Our victory over Australia was such a sweet one, but I have told the ladies to drive it into the recesses of their minds and concentrate on Monday’s encounter. We need another victory to sustain our winning mentality. We won five of our six qualifying matches with healthy score lines and have now added victory over the Australians to boot.

 “As I keep saying at every turn, the FIFA World Cup finals here will not be easy. The fact that we are up against Korea Republic and three-time winners Germany in our first two matches means we need to be at our best physically, mentally and psychologically. Physically and mentally, I believe we are in shape. Psychologically, we are good, and we will be great if we defeat the Mexicans to go into the competition unbeaten.”

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In the African qualifying race, the Falconets routed their counterparts from Central African Republic 6-0 each in Douala and Abuja, sent packing Burkina Faso with a 1-1 draw in Bamako and 6-0 spanking in Abuja, and dismissed Liberia 4-1 in Monrovia and 2-0 in Abuja, in the process scoring 25 goals and conceding only two.

On Friday, the 2010 and 2014 silver medallists edged the Aussies 2-1 in regulation time, and then won a subsequent penalty shootout that happened at the instance of the Australian delegation.

The clash with the Mexicans, who are expected to provide much-stiffer opposition (having missed only one edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals since it started in 2002), will kickoff at 3.30pm Colombia time (9.30pm Nigeria time).  

Danjuma’s squad from the qualifiers is now boosted by the presence of a number of players who have seen action with the Nigeria senior team, Super Falcons, including defenders Jumoke Alani, Rofiat Imuran, Comfort Folorunsho and forwards Opeyemi Ajakaye, Chiamaka Okwuchukwu and Flourish Sabastine. Folorunsho and Ajakaye were in the Nigeria U17 squad that finished in third place at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in India two years ago. Other members of that squad also with the Falconets in Colombia are goalkeeper Faith Omilana and forward Aminat Omowunmi Bello.

Colourful traditional dancers, flag-waving enthusiasts and members of the Local Organizing Committee of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024 were among the excited crowd that welcomed two-time silver medallists Nigeria to the Colombian capital, Bogota on Sunday evening.

Exhausted but fascinated by the pomp and pageantry, the Falconets, who landed at the El Dorado International Airport after a 13-hour flight from Istanbul in Turkey, lapped up the reception and showed appreciation to the motley crowd.

After a light training session on Monday to shake off jet lag, the Nigeria U20 girls will from today  intensify their preparations for a strong challenge at winning the trophy. Coach Christopher Musa Danjuma told local journalists at the airport in Bogota that the Falconets are determined to go all the way this time, having logged two Final-Match appearances, a semi-final appearance and several quarter-final berths in the 22-year-old tournament.

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 “We have the mandate and support of the Government and people of Nigeria to come here and give it our best fight-and-push. Our Sports Minister reminded us of the fact that Nigeria finished second in 2010 and 2014, and reached the semi-finals in 2012. He charged us to come back with the trophy this time, and that is our objective.”

The Falconets’ final phase of preparation for the 23-day championship will include tough tests against Australia and Mexico. They go up against the Australians on Friday, 23rd August, and then confront the Mexicans three days later.

The girls from Mexico will be featuring in the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup for the 10^th  time, having missed one previous championship, while Nigeria is one of only four countries (the others being USA, Brazil and Germany) to have played in every final tournament since the competition was launched as an U19 event in Canada in 2002.

With the competition having only this year been upgraded to a 24-nation-finals, nearly half of the finalists are debutants. These are Austria, Chile, Chinese Taipei, Denmark, Fiji, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Thailand, Cameroon and Morocco.

2022 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup quarter-finalists Nigeria have been drawn to play three-time winners Germany, Venezuela and Korea Republic in Group D of this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals.

The final competition, which will welcome 24 teams for the first time, will be staged in four venues in three cities in Colombia between 31^st August  and 22^nd  September.

Cup holders Spain are in Group C alongside three-time winners USA, Paraguay and another African representative team, Morocco.

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Two-time winners Korea Democratic People’s Republic will contend with Argentina, Costa Rica and the Netherlands in Group F, while hosts Colombia are up against Australia, Cameroon and Mexico in Group A.

GROUP A: Colombia, Australia, Cameroon, Mexico

GROUP B: France, Canada, Brazil, Fiji

GROUP C: Spain, USA, Paraguay, Morocco

GROUP D: Germany, Venezuela, Nigeria, Korea Republic

GROUP E: Japan, New Zealand, Ghana, Austria

GROUP F: Korea DPR, Argentina, Costa Rica, The Netherlands