Colombia 2024: Falconets Brush Aside Tanzania, Reach Final Round

Goals by Janet Akekoromowei and Comfort Folorunsho against Tanzania at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Sunday gave Nigeria a 2-1 win and progress to the final round of qualifiers for the 2024 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals. After a gloomy afternoon for Nigerian ball fans following the Super Eagles’ disappointing 1-1 draw with the Warriors of Zimbabwe in neutral Rwanda in the race to 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, the Falconets gave the fans something to smile about as they edged their Tanzanian counterparts 3-2 on aggregate to reach the final round, where they will take on Burundi’s U20 girls. The 2022 World Cup quarter-finalists, who have never been absent from the global finals, swarmed on the visitors from the first blast of the whistle, but poor marksmanship on the part of former U17 team striker Opeyemi Ajakaye robbed them of an early goal. Akekoromowei eventually put Nigeria in front after 16 minutes, when she rifled home from the edge of the box after an intelligent pass from Taiwo Afolabi. Five minutes later, the East Africans were at parity, when goalkeeper Shukura Bakare dropped the ball from an innocuous-looking free-kick 35 yards out and Jamila Mnunduka bundled the ball over the line. Nigeria would have been ahead in the 25th minute, but defender Shukurat Oladipo’s well-struck free-kick from 40 yards was parried away by goalkeeper Zulfa Ally Makau. Ajakaye failed to make hay with another opportunity in the 33rd minute. On the hour mark, defender Comfort Folorunsho broke the spell of 1-1draws for Nigeria’s national teams in recent weeks, when she leapt highest to head home from Afolabi’s cross after a couple of touches from a corner kick.   The Falconets will now take on Burundi in the final round of qualifiers, to determine one of Africa’s flagbearers at next year’s global championship to be hosted by Colombia.   

Chris Danjuma Returns As Falconets’ Head Coach

*Abdullahi, Ekpo to assist him Christopher Musa Danjuma has returned to his job as Head Coach of the U20 Women National Team, Falconets, following a screening and interview process by the NFF Technical Committee. The committee submitted its recommendation and the same has been approved by the NFF Executive Committee. The process began with a one-week public notice which requested for applications from suitably qualified persons, after which short-listed candidates were contacted and interviewed by a panel of the Technical Committee. Danjuma, who has taken temporary charge of the Senior Women National Team, Super Falcons, on a couple of occasions, led the Falconets to the quarter-finals of last year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals in Costa Rica. The experienced gaffer will be assisted by former U20 and U17 girls’ assistant coach Mansur Abdullahi, and former Super Falcons’ midfielder Effioanwan Ekpo. Ekpo, who represented Nigeria for 10 years between 2000 and 2010, featured at the 2003 and 2007 FIFA World Cup finals in USA and China respectively, at the 2004 and 2008 Women Olympic Football Tournaments in Athens and Beijing respectively, and was a Women Africa Cup of Nations gold medallist on three occasions. She also featured at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algiers. Yahaya Audu, who has been goalkeeper trainer of the team, also returns to his position. The Falconets will commence their 2024 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign with a second round, first leg encounter against their counterparts from Mauritius in Saint Pierre on Sunday, 8th October, with the return leg scheduled for the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Saturday, 14th October 2023. Colombia will stage the 2024 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals.