Nigeria’s Falconets remain in contention for a place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after being held to a goalless draw by China PR in their second Group F match.
The result leaves Nigeria with everything to play for in their final group game against New Caledonia, as they attempt to preserve their record of reaching the knockout stage at every edition of the tournament since its inaugural staging in 2002.
Head coach Moses Aduku admitted his side must improve in front of goal after failing to convert the opportunities they created against China.
“The honest truth is that we came to win, but I think China also showed some resilience in the game. It was not a bad game for both sides, but the little chances we created, we could not take them again,” Aduku said.
“But honestly, I saw improvement in my team in the Spanish game, so we’re getting better. So, it’s not the result we actually wanted to win, but we did not play out.”
The draw represented a response of sorts from the Falconets following their disappointing 2-0 defeat by Spain in their opening Group F fixture.
Nigeria showed greater attacking intent against China and created opportunities, with forward Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei emerging as one of their main threats.
However, the West Africans could not find the breakthrough as China’s defence held firm to secure a point.
China, meanwhile, will feel they could have taken all three points after twice coming close to scoring.
Li Chenyu struck the crossbar just 82 seconds into the match, while Xue Sifan also hit the woodwork early in the second half.
The result means China remain unbeaten in the group after opening their campaign with an emphatic 5-0 victory over New Caledonia.
The Falconets have reached the knockout stage at every U-20 Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 2002.
Aduku’s side will therefore know that another failure to take their chances could prove costly, after the draw with China left them needing a strong final group performance.
Having shown improvement from their opening defeat to Spain, Nigeria must now turn that progress into a result when they meet New Caledonia.
The West African side’s hopes of advancing remain alive, but their final group fixture will be crucial to determining whether they can extend their long-standing record in the competition.
