The Falconets moved into the next round of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers with a dominant 4-0 victory over Rwanda at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan on Saturday.
Nigeria’s U-20 women’s team underlined their dominance in African football with the convincing triumph, sealing progress to the next stage of the 2026 U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
The Falconets, who had earned a narrow 1-0 win in Kigali in the first leg, completed a 5-0 aggregate victory to book their spot in the third round, where they will face either Senegal or Algeria.
From the outset, the hosts dictated the tempo with fluid attacking play and sharp movement in front of a stadium filled with fans still celebrating the coronation of Rashidi Ladoja as the new Olubadan.
Their breakthrough came in the 13th minute when Janet Akekoromewei breezed past her marker on the right flank and squared for Precious Oscar, who calmly slotted home to open the scoring.
Barely three minutes later, the Falconets doubled their advantage in spectacular fashion. Tumininu Adesina curled a corner kick straight into the net, leaving the Rwandan goalkeeper stranded and the Ibadan crowd in raptures.
The Moses Aduku-led side returned after the interval with the same intensity. Just on the hour mark, Janet, who had been a constant menace for the visitors, fired a thunderous strike from distance. The Rwandan keeper got a hand to it but failed to keep it out as the ball nestled into the bottom corner for 3-0.
Substitute Taiwo Afolabi added gloss to the scoreline deep into stoppage time with a composed finish, capping off a dominant display that showed Nigeria’s attacking depth and technical superiority.
With qualification for Poland 2026 in sight, the Falconets will now turn their attention to the third round. Senegal, who hold a 2-0 advantage over Algeria from the first leg of their tie, remain favourites to meet Nigeria in what promises to be a highly competitive clash.
The winner will proceed to the final round to pick a spot as one of Africa’s four representatives in the tournament to be hosted by Poland in September 2026.
