BTvNEWS

Mary Mamudu’s first-half stoppage-time strike gives Nigeria’s U20 girls a morale-boosting victory ahead of Spain opener

By AbdulHakeem Mutiu Adejumo-Ajeseku, Abuja, Nigeria

BTvNEWS: Nigeria’s U20 women’s national team, the Falconets, have secured a narrow 1–0 victory over hosts Poland in a friendly encounter as part of their final preparations for this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.

The Falconets defeated their Polish counterparts on Friday at the Municipal Stadium in Brzeg, Poland, in a closely contested encounter that provided Coach Moses Aduku’s side with a timely boost ahead of the global tournament.

Mary Mamudu scored the decisive goal in first-half added time, giving Nigeria the lead before the interval and ultimately sealing the victory for the two-time FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup runners-up.

The win is expected to strengthen the Falconets’ confidence and provide the team with the much-needed winning mentality and momentum as they fine-tune their preparations for the tournament proper.

The Nigerian side will have one more opportunity to test their readiness when they face the Republic of Korea in their second and final friendly match on Tuesday, 1 September, at the Remes Sports Leisure and Spa Stadium.

The Falconets will then begin their FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup campaign against Spain on Monday, 7 September, before facing China on 10 September.

Nigeria will conclude the group-stage fixtures against New Caledonia on 13 September.

With the competition fast approaching, Coach Moses Aduku and his players will be hoping to build on the victory over Poland and carry the confidence gained from their final warm-up matches into their World Cup campaign.