Aduku: Falconets Must Stay Aggressive in Senegal Showdown

Aduku: Falconets Must Stay Aggressive in Senegal Showdown

By Our Reporter 

Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team head coach, Moses Aduku, has vowed that the Falconets will approach the second leg of their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying tie against Senegal with determination and tactical discipline, as they seek to protect their slim advantage, BSNSports.com.ng reports..

The Falconets edged Senegal 1–0 in a tightly contested first-leg encounter at the Moshood Abiola Sports Arena, Abeokuta, on Saturday. Substitute Kindness Ifeanyi proved decisive, rising to head home the winning goal five minutes into the second half.

The victory puts Nigeria in a favourable position ahead of the return leg, with a draw in Dakar enough to secure passage to the final qualifying round of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Speaking after the match, Aduku stressed that his side would not adopt a defensive mindset in the reverse fixture. “We are not going there to sit back and defend; that would be dangerous,” Aduku said during his post-match press conference. “We will do our best to score first and then build on that.”

The coach acknowledged Senegal’s competitiveness in the first leg but expressed confidence in his team’s ability to repeat their performance away from home.

 “They fought well, but we know we have the quality to beat them. It will be the same approach in the second leg,” he added.

Reflecting on the home victory, Aduku praised his players for their resilience and commitment, describing the encounter as a difficult test.

 “It was a tough game, but the important thing is that we have an advantage going into the second leg. I must commend the players because they fought hard for this win,” he said.

The Falconets are expected to intensify preparations in the coming days as they look to build on their advantage and seal qualification.

The second leg of the tie is scheduled for Saturday, 14 December, in Dakar, Senegal.