Falconets survive Malawi scare to seal 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup berth
Nigeria’s U20 women’s national team, the Falconets, held their nerve in Lilongwe on Saturday to book a place at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, overcoming Malawi 3-2 on aggregate despite losing the second leg 2-1.
The Nigerian side arrived at the Bingu National Stadium carrying a comfortable 2-0 advantage from the first leg, but they were made to fight for qualification by a determined Malawian team backed by a lively home crowd.
Malawi wasted little time stamping their authority on the encounter as Faith Chimzimu fired the hosts ahead in the ninth minute, finishing calmly to ignite hopes of a comeback.
The early goal unsettled the Falconets, who struggled to convert several promising opportunities before the break. While Nigeria pushed for an equaliser, Malawi remained dangerous on the counter and continued to believe in overturning the deficit.
That belief grew stronger in the 56th minute when Chimzimu struck again, completing her brace and drawing Malawi level on aggregate in a tense and dramatic contest.
With momentum swinging towards the hosts, the Falconets needed an immediate response, and they found one through substitute Oscar Precious.
Just six minutes after Malawi’s second goal, Precious delivered the decisive moment of the match, calmly finding the back of the net in the 62nd minute to restore Nigeria’s aggregate lead and silence the home supporters.
The goal steadied the Nigerian side, who tightened up defensively and managed the remainder of the game with discipline and composure despite late pressure from Malawi.
At the final whistle, relief and celebration swept through the Falconets camp as Nigeria secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup set to take place in Poland from September 5 to 27, 2026.
Join the Savid News channel on WhatsApp:
