Falconets Beat England 3-0 to Reach U-20 Women’s World Cup Quarter-Finals

Nigeria’s Falconets have reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after beating England 3-0 in the Round of 16 in Poland.

The Falconets vs England 3-0 result looked comfortable on the scoreboard, but Nigeria had to survive a difficult spell before taking control. Tosin Rafiu opened the scoring in the eighth minute, giving Nigeria an early advantage after intercepting an England pass and finishing from a tight angle.

England created several chances after falling behind and came close to an equaliser. Their biggest opportunity came after a VAR review awarded a penalty, but Christiana Uzoma saved Rachel Maltby’s spot-kick and kept Nigeria ahead going into half-time. That save became one of the key moments of the game.

Nigeria’s Response After The Penalty

Rather than allowing England’s pressure to change the momentum, Nigeria returned from the break with another goal.

Janet Akekoromowei doubled the lead just two minutes into the second half, finishing after an England corner was not properly cleared. Mary Mamudu then added the third in the 73rd minute after Akekoromowei won the ball and created the opening for her teammate.

The three goals came from different parts of Nigeria’s game: Rafiu provided an early individual moment, Akekoromowei punished a defensive mistake, and Mamudu finished a transition created by pressure further up the pitch.

It was also a strong defensive performance, with Uzoma making several important saves as England tried to recover.

Africa’s Last Team Standing

The Nigeria U-20 women World Cup campaign now carries an extra significance because the Falconets are the only African team still in the tournament. Ghana, Tanzania and Benin Republic were eliminated during the group stage.

Nigeria will now face Colombia in the quarter-finals after Colombia defeated hosts Poland. The match is scheduled for Sunday in Łódź, with kick-off at 2pm Nigerian time.

Coach Moses Aduku said England underestimated his team, but he also warned the players not to dwell on the victory. His message was clear: the England result is over, and the focus has already shifted to the next challenge.

For the Falconets quarter-finals 2026, the next test will be whether Nigeria can maintain the confidence, defensive discipline and attacking efficiency that produced this statement win.