Falconets Begin Poland Camp in Trzebnica Ahead of 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup
Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, have officially opened their pre-tournament camp in the south-western Polish town of Trzebnica as they step up preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which runs across four host cities in Poland from September 5 to 27.
The team, led by head coach Moses Aduku, arrived in Poland on Sunday afternoon and is scheduled to base itself at Hotel Trzebnica until September 3, when the squad will relocate to its designated official FIFA team hotel ahead of the tournament’s kickoff. According to the Nigeria Football Federation, the players will use their time in Trzebnica to complete tactical and technical preparations while acclimatising to conditions in Europe ahead of their opening group-stage fixtures.
In a boost for the squad, Benfica Ladies striker Janet Akekoromowei, also known by the nickname “Semenya,” has joined her teammates directly from her club base in Portugal. Her arrival is considered significant given that her Portuguese club had reportedly attempted to prevent her release for international duty ahead of the tournament.
The Falconets secured their place at the global tournament following an impressive run through the African qualifying series, in which they thrashed Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate in the second round, before edging past Senegal and then Malawi in tightly contested aggregate victories to book their World Cup ticket. Nigeria remains the only African nation to have qualified for every edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup since the competition’s inception in 2002.
Ahead of their departure for Poland, the team held an extended training camp in Abuja, where 28 players were initially invited for the buildup phase before the squad was trimmed for travel. During the Abuja camp, the Falconets played a series of warm-up fixtures, including comfortable wins over local sides Bodyline FC and Sunshine FC, as Aduku’s technical crew focused on fitness, tactical cohesion, and building what the coach described as a winning mentality ahead of the finals.
Nigeria has been drawn in Group F alongside Spain, China PR, and Paraguay for the tournament. The Falconets are set to open their campaign against Spain at the Arena Sosnowiec, before facing China PR at the same venue three days later, and rounding off the group stage against Paraguay at the Stadion Miejski ŁKS.
Nigeria’s best finishes at the tournament came with back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2014, both defeats to Germany, along with a historic semi-final run in 2012 that remains unmatched by any other African nation at the competition. With Germany having failed to qualify for this year’s edition for the first time, Aduku’s squad will be hoping conditions are favourable for a push toward a maiden title in Poland.
Speaking ahead of the team’s departure, captain Joy Igbokwe expressed confidence in her squad’s preparations and called on Nigerians to continue supporting and praying for the team throughout the tournament, promising that the players would give their best effort in their bid to make the country proud on the global stage.
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