Falconets Arrive In Katowice As Spain World Cup Opener Looms

Nigeria’s Falconets have arrived in Katowice ahead of their opening Group F fixture against Spain at the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

The Nigeria U20 women’s national team departed their training base in Trzebnica on Thursday and checked into the Novotel Katowice Centrum as preparations entered their final phase ahead of the tournament, which kicks off on Saturday.

The Falconets spent 10 days in Trzebnica, where head coach Moses Aduku and his technical crew focused on tactical organisation, technical execution, physical conditioning and team cohesion.

The camp also allowed the players to acclimatise to the Polish environment and sharpen their match fitness before the global tournament.

Nigeria completed its pre-tournament preparations with two international friendlies against strong opposition.

The Falconets defeated hosts Poland 1-0 last Friday, with Mary Mamudu scoring the decisive goal in the first half. They followed that result with a 1-1 draw against the Republic of Korea on Tuesday, with Mamudu again getting on the scoresheet.

The two warm-up matches provided Aduku and his technical crew with an opportunity to assess the squad against different styles of opposition while giving the players valuable experience of the pace and intensity expected at the World Cup.

With the Trzebnica camp now concluded, the Falconets will focus fully on their opening Group F assignment against Spain on Monday.

Nigeria have been drawn alongside Spain, China PR and New Caledonia and will face China PR on 10 September before rounding off their group campaign against New Caledonia on 13 September.

The Falconets will be hoping to carry the confidence gained from their unbeaten warm-up campaign into the tournament as they begin their quest for a strong showing on the global stage.