FALCONETS of Nigeria head coach Moses Aduku has expressed satisfaction with the progress of his team as the two-time FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup silver-medallists continue preparations for their third-round qualifying tie against Senegal.
“The past weeks spent in camp have been productive, with all invited players fully present and responding positively to training,” Aduku said.
“The technical crew has focused on tactical organization, team cohesion, and overall strategy, and the players have demonstrated commitment, discipline, and intensity throughout preparations.”
Aduku stressed that attention remains firmly on the upcoming qualifier, emphasising the importance of securing a strong result in the first leg on home soil.
Friendly matches for the Falconets have been vital in assessing and refining the team’s system of play, with focus on strengthening attacking play while maintaining defensive balance. He described performances so far as encouraging.
The Falconets will host the first leg of the fixture at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, on Saturday, 7th February, with the return leg scheduled for Saturday, 14th February in Dakar, Senegal.
The Falconets, who also reached the semi-finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan 14 years ago, will travel to Ibadan tomorrow to continue their preparations ahead of the fixture.
While refraining from bold predictions, Aduku expressed belief in the quality and mentality of the players, citing their competitive displays in recent friendly matches.
He concluded by re-affirming the team’s determination to make the nation proud and secure qualification.
The winners of the Nigeria/Senegal fixture will go into the last round of the qualifying series, to confront the winner of the Guinea Bissau/Malawi fixture, for one of Africa’s four tickets at the final tournament.
The 12th edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals will be staged in Poland from September 5 to September 27.