Head coach Moses Aduku has expressed satisfaction with the steady progress of Nigeria’s U20 girls, the Falconets, as they intensify preparations for their third-round FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying clash against Senegal.

The two-time World Cup silver medallists have enjoyed productive weeks in camp, with all invited players present and responding positively to training. Aduku revealed that the technical crew has concentrated on tactical organisation, team cohesion and overall match strategy, noting the players’ high level of commitment, discipline and intensity.

“Our focus remains firmly on the Senegal match,” Aduku said. “We want to secure a strong result at home and put ourselves in a good position going into the second leg.”

He added that a series of friendly matches has been instrumental in fine-tuning the team’s playing style, particularly in sharpening attacking options while maintaining defensive balance. Performances so far, according to the coach, have been encouraging.

Nigeria will host the first leg at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, on Saturday, 7 February, before travelling to Dakar for the return fixture on Saturday, 14 February. The Falconets are scheduled to move camp to Ibadan on 27 January to continue their final phase of preparations.

While avoiding bold predictions, Aduku expressed confidence in the quality and mentality of his squad, citing their competitive displays in recent test matches. He reaffirmed the team’s determination to make the nation proud and secure qualification.

The winner of the Nigeria–Senegal tie will advance to the final qualifying round, where they will face either Guinea-Bissau or Malawi for one of Africa’s four tickets to the tournament.

The 12th edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup will be staged in Poland from 5–27 September 2026.