Falconets To Depart Nigeria For Colombia For Two Friendlies Ahead of FIFA U20 World Cup

Falconets To Depart Nigeria For Colombia For Two Friendlies Ahead of FIFA U20 World Cup 

By Niyi Busari

The Nigeria U20 women national team will depart for Colombia to play two friendly matches in preparation ahead of the FIFA U20 Women World Cup in Costa Rica, BSNSports com.ng can reveal.

The Falconets head coach, Christopher Danjuma while speaking with BSN Sports after their Tuesday training at the Training Pitch 1 of Moshood Abiola Stadium Abuja said the team will camp in Costa Rica to acclamitize. Though, he did not reveal the name of the two clubs the team play in their warm-up games, but he believed those matches are enough to triumph at the World Cup.

"I think this should be the last week we will spend in Nigeria and I know we are playing two clubs in Colombia but i dont know the name of the clubs yet. 

He added, "You know, no matter how long camping is, sometimes you know it has to do with composition of players you have. For instance who are those in your group and how do you prepare for the task ahead. I know we will go to Colombia with almost the same weather with that of Costa Rica and i think we will be having two games in Colombia before proceeding to Costa Rica. I think those games will be very good for us." He concluded.

The 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup will begin on 10 August and ends on 28 August. In group C, Nigeria will face France on Thursday August 11 at the San Jose Estadio Nacional, before they locked horns with Korea on Sunday August 14 at the Alajuela Morera Soto Stadium. At the venue, Canada will test their power with the African side on August 22 at 8pm.

Only four countries, namely Germany, Brazil, USA and Nigeria have played in all editions of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup since the competition was launched as a U19 championship in Canada 20 years ago.

Germany have won the championship thrice (2004, 2010 and 2014); USA have won thrice (2002, 2008 and 2012) while Nigeria have twice reached the Final, losing to Germany in 2010 and 2014.

Ghana, Africa’s other flagbearers, have reached the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup on five previous occasions, crashing out at the group stage each time.