Falconets Held by China, Face Must-Win Clash With New Caledonia

Nigeria’s Falconets were held to a goalless draw by China PR in their second Group F match at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland on Thursday.

The result at Arena Sosnowiec leaves Nigeria with one point from two matches and puts added pressure on Coach Moses Aduku’s side ahead of their final group game against New Caledonia on Sunday.

The Falconets started brightly and created the first clear chance in the 17th minute through Janet Akekoromowei.

Nigeria continued to grow into the contest, with Kafayat Mafisere winning a corner in the 33rd minute before Akekoromowei went close again in the 38th minute and in first-half stoppage time.

China also threatened before the break, with Huang Jiaxin, Zhou Xinyi and Song Lijuan testing the Nigerian defence.

Goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma, however, stood firm, while the Falconets’ backline dealt with China’s attacking pressure to ensure both sides went into the interval level.

China introduced Chen Ruilin at the start of the second half in an attempt to increase their attacking threat, but Nigeria responded with chances of their own.

Precious Oscar, Mafisere and Queen Joseph all came close to breaking the deadlock, as both teams pushed for the decisive goal.

Nigeria appeared to have been handed a major opportunity in the 74th minute when the referee awarded a penalty, but the decision was overturned following a VAR review.
Neither side could find the breakthrough before the final whistle as the points were shared.

The Falconets now face New Caledonia in Lódź on Sunday, September 13, knowing that victory could be crucial to their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages.

With the group campaign entering its decisive phase, Aduku’s young team must now put Thursday’s stalemate behind them and produce a winning performance to keep Nigeria’s World Cup hopes alive.