Nigeria U20 women’s head coach, Moses Aduku, has expressed strong confidence that the Falconets will secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, following their hard-earned 1–0 victory over Senegal in the first leg of their third-round qualifier.

Speaking at the post-match press conference at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex, Abeokuta, Aduku welcomed the narrow win but stressed that the job is only halfway done.

“I’m grateful for the goal and the victory because it wasn’t an easy game,” he said. “But now, we are taking the fight to them. As soon as we leave here, we’ll go back to the drawing board, correct what we need to correct, and prepare for the next battle in Senegal. I know we will not disappoint.”

The Falconets’ performance came under scrutiny in some quarters, particularly that of Taiwo Afolabi, but Aduku was quick to defend his player.

“Sometimes football is like that. She’s a fantastic player, maybe today was not her day,” he explained. “But when we get to Senegal, you’ll see a different ball game.”

On the injury sustained by influential forward Janet Akekoromowei, the coach said an update would follow later.

“We don’t have full information yet because the match just ended. When we get back to the hotel, we should know more.”

Team captain Joy Igbokwe echoed the coach’s sentiments, praising the squad’s mental strength in a physically demanding encounter.

“First of all, we thank God for the win,” she said. “It was a very tough game, but we’ll go back and work on our lapses.”

Igbokwe also admitted the team felt the absence of Akekoromowei after her injury but credited the coaching staff for keeping morale high.

“She’s one of our key players, so we really missed her. When the injury happened, we almost felt down, but our coach encouraged us to keep playing no matter what. We miss her so much, and I wish her a speedy recovery.”

Aduku highlighted his tactical adjustments as the game progressed, noting that patience and belief in his players paid off.

“When some players have an off day, people might think they are not good enough,” he said. “But these same players are game changers. That’s football. Kindness came in and did what a substitute should do. Our initial game plan didn’t work in the first half, but in the second half we created chances and eventually got the goal.”

Looking ahead to the return leg, Aduku made it clear that the Falconets will not sit back on their slim advantage.

“We won’t play defensively,” he declared. “Our aim is to score first while still tightening our defence. Playing defensively would be dangerous, so we’ll strike a balance.”

Igbokwe also sent a message to Nigerian fans ahead of the decisive clash in Senegal.

“We promised goals, but it didn’t happen the way we planned,” she said. “We’ll work harder and make sure the result in Senegal is different. We’re going there to make you proud.”

The Falconets now turn their attention to the second leg scheduled for Saturday, 14 February, at the Stade Lat-Dior in Thiès, where they will look to build on their narrow lead and book a place in the final round of the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.