Nigeria U20 women head coach Moses Aduku has urged his players to quickly put their impressive 3-0 victory over England behind them as Nigeria turn their attention to a demanding quarter-final clash against Colombia at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

Nigeria secured their place in the last eight with a commanding performance against the Young Lionesses in their Round of 16 encounter, with Tosin Rafiu, Janet Akekoromowei and Mary Mamudu finding the net. 

Rafiu opened the scoring in the eighth minute before Akekoromowei doubled Nigeria’s advantage two minutes after the restart. Mamudu then completed the scoring in the 73rd minute to seal a convincing victory for Aduku’s side.

Goalkeeper and captain Christiana Uzoma also played a crucial role, saving Rachel  first-half penalty as Nigeria preserved their advantage and eventually recorded a clean sheet. 

Despite the emphatic result, Aduku has warned his players against dwelling on the victory, insisting that the knockout stage demands immediate focus on the next challenge.

“The English team is a very good side, and I think they underrated us. They never believed that we could play up to this level,” Aduku told FIFA Media after the encounter. 

However, the coach was quick to remind his players that the tournament is far from over, stressing the importance of maintaining the same mentality as Nigeria’s title pursuit enters a more decisive phase.

“But I said after the group stage that the World Cup is just starting. After the game, I told the players, ‘This game is gone. Let’s have a short celebration because we have the next game to play, so let’s focus on the next one,’” he added. 

The Falconets will face Colombia in the quarter-finals on Sunday, September 20, at the Stadion Miejski ŁKS in Łódź, with kick-off scheduled for 2pm Nigerian time. 

Colombia booked their place in the last eight after edging hosts Poland 1-0 in their Round of 16 encounter, with a late own goal from Martyna Bartczak deciding the contest in the 89th minute. 

The quarter-final will be the first meeting between Nigeria and Colombia at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, adding another dimension to what promises to be a competitive encounter.

Nigeria reached the knockout stage after finishing second in Group F with four points, following a 2-0 defeat to Spain, a goalless draw against China and a resounding 10-1 victory over New Caledonia. 

The victory over England has also given the Falconets considerable attacking momentum, with the team scoring 13 goals in their last two matches after failing to find the net in their opening two group games. 

Nigeria are two-time runners-up at the U-20 Women’s World Cup, having finished second in 2010 and 2014, while they also reached the semi-finals in 2012.

A victory over Colombia would take the Falconets into the semi-finals, where they would face either North Korea or Canada on September 23.