Nigeria’s under-20 women’s football team, the Falconets, suffered a 0-1 defeat against Mexico in a friendly match on Monday in Bogota.
The game, held at Club Banco de la República in Colombia’s capital, marked the Falconets’ final preparation for the upcoming FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup. Mexico secured the win with a 15th-minute volley by Alejandra Lomelí. Before this match, the Falconets had defeated Australia 2-1 on Friday as part of their World Cup preparations.
Falconets’ head coach, Christopher Danjuma, emphasized the importance of the friendly matches, noting that they provided an opportunity to fine-tune strategies and assess the team’s readiness for the tournament. “We won five of our six qualifying matches with strong scorelines and added a victory over Australia, despite the loss to Mexico,” Danjuma stated. “The mixed results in these friendlies show that the girls are prepared, but we will continue to address our weaknesses before the competition.”
Danjuma acknowledged the challenges ahead, particularly in facing the Korea Republic and three-time champions Germany in their first two World Cup matches. “We need to be at our best physically, mentally, and psychologically. I believe we are in good shape, but we must continue to focus on our preparation,” he said.
The Falconets will compete in Group D of the tournament, alongside Germany, Venezuela, and the Korea Republic. They kick off their campaign against the Korea Republic on September 2, followed by matches against Germany on September 4th and Venezuela on September 7th, 2024.
Spain, the defending champions, will look to retain their title after their victory in Costa Rica in 2022.
