Ahead of the upcoming 2024 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, Falconets head coach Christopher Danjuma has outlined Nigeria’s strategy for success, emphasizing the importance of minimizing errors and maintaining respect for all opponents.
Nigeria, who have reached the final of the tournament twice before, will compete in Group D, facing Germany, Venezuela, and the Korea Republic in the first-ever 24-team edition of the competition, which is an expansion from the previous 16 teams. The matches will be hosted in Bogotá and Cali.
Danjuma expressed confidence in his team’s preparations, stating, “The girls have been working very hard, and I am delighted at the level of improvement I have seen in the squad. There is greater understanding and ambition to accomplish. At an individual level, they continue to grow and show their determination to excel with a focus on the larger picture.”
The veteran tactician stressed the need for readiness from the outset, particularly against the Korean Republic and Germany, which he identified as crucial to advancing to the knockout stages.
“We must be very ready from the first blast of the referee’s whistle in Colombia, as there will not be many minutes to make mistakes and adjust against the Korean Republic and Germany,” Danjuma said. “Those two games will be key to our progress to the knockout rounds. We also cannot afford to underrate Venezuela – they went through the qualifying rounds. The important thing is that we must bring our ‘A’ game to the party in all three matches.”
Notable players who have previously participated in the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup include Salma Paralluelo of Spain, Brazil’s Marta, USA’s Megan Rapinoe, and Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala, a six-time African Player of the Year. Oshoala was the top scorer when the Falconets reached the final in Canada a decade ago, narrowly losing to Germany.
With the tournament’s expansion to 24 teams, Africa now has four representatives: Nigeria, Morocco, Cameroon, and Ghana. The Falconets will depart Nigeria for a two-week final training camp in Colombia ahead of their first match against the Korean Republic in Bogotá on September 1, followed by games against Germany at the El Techo Stadium in Bogotá on September 4, and Venezuela in Cali on September 7.
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