Head coach of the Falconets, Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national football team, Moses Aduku, has assured that his team will not take Rwanda lightly as preparations continue for their crucial 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying double-header.
The girls will travel to Kigali to face Rwanda on Sunday, September 21, before hosting the return leg at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan on Saturday, September 27, as they look to secure a ticket to the World Cup.
The Falconets are seeking their 11th consecutive appearance at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which will be staged in Chile in 2025.
‘No Country is a Pushover’ – Falconets Coach
Speaking about the growing competitiveness of women’s football in Africa, Aduku explained the importance of approaching the tie with focus and respect for their East African opponents.
“In Africa now, all of us are aware, everybody’s aware that female football is growing drastically in Africa.”
“So therefore, no country is a pushover. Rwanda is not an exception.”
Analyzing Rwanda’s Strengths
Coach Aduku revealed that he and his technical crew have analyzed footage of Rwanda’s qualifying win over Mozambique and are fully aware of the Lady Wasps’ capabilities.
“And I think that we were privileged to get their clip, their match against Mozambique, that they won 2-1 Rome and 0-0, that means they qualified.”
“They are beatable, but a good side.”
“They have some speed players in their team, they have some team players in their team, but we’ll be able to neutralize them with our strategy.”
‘We’ll Be Ready’ – Falconets Declares
The Falconets, who have qualified for every FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup since 2002, are currently in camp as they fine-tune preparations.
Meanwhile, Moses Aduku is confident that the team will be fully ready for the challenge.
“As we go on with our training section, we have at least two more weeks to prepare. And I think the girls will catch up and we’ll be able to face them and do the lead through.”
