Falconets Thrash England 3-0 to Reach U-20 Women’s World Cup Quarter-Finals, Set Up Colombia Clash
Nigeria’s Falconets produced their most commanding performance of the tournament to thrash England 3-0 in their Round of 16 clash at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, booking a quarter-final meeting with Colombia and keeping alive their pursuit of a first title at this level.
The match, played on Thursday, September 17, at the Stadion Miejski in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, saw Nigeria take an early lead through midfielder Tosin Rafiu, who found the net in the eighth minute with a composed finish, marking her second goal of the tournament. England were handed a route back into the game before half-time when they were awarded a penalty, but Falconets captain and goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma produced a crucial save to deny Rachel Maltby and preserve Nigeria’s lead heading into the break.
Nigeria came out sharper after the restart, doubling their advantage just two minutes into the second half through Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei, who also played a key role in setting up Nigeria’s third goal, her second involvement of the tournament in just three appearances. Mary Mamudu then completed the scoring in the 73rd minute, sealing a comprehensive 3-0 victory for head coach Moses Aduku’s side over one of the tournament’s pre-fancied favourites.
The result continued a remarkable turnaround in form for the Falconets, who had failed to score in their opening two group-stage matches, losing 2-0 to Spain before playing out a goalless draw with China, before finding their attacking rhythm in emphatic fashion, thrashing New Caledonia 10-1 in their final group match ahead of Thursday’s win over England. Nigeria have now scored 13 goals across their last two matches combined, a sharp reversal from their goalless start to the competition.
Thursday’s victory marked just the second time Nigeria have beaten England at the U-20 Women’s World Cup across four meetings between the two nations, with their other two previous encounters both ending in draws. The Confederation of African Football celebrated the result on its official social media channels, praising the Falconets’ performance in helping keep an African representative alive in the tournament’s latter stages.
Nigeria, two-time runners-up at the U-20 Women’s World Cup, will now face Colombia in the quarter-finals on September 20, after the South Americans edged out tournament hosts Poland on the same day. With the competition entering its decisive stages, Aduku’s side will need to navigate an increasingly demanding knockout format, with every remaining team now just two victories away from a place in the final, as the Falconets continue their bid to lift the trophy for the first time in the tournament’s history.
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