Nigeria’s Falconets have secured a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after defeating England 3–0 in their Round of 16 encounter at the Stadion Miejski in Bielsko-Biała, Poland.
Tosin Rafiu, Janet Seimeyeha Akekoromowei and Mary Mamadu were found the back of the net as Nigeria produced a commanding performance against the Young Lionesses.
Rafiu opened the scoring in the eighth minute after dribbling into the England penalty area before cutting onto her left foot and firing past the goalkeeper.
Nigeria doubled the advantage shortly after the restart. Akekoromowei reacted quickest following a corner kick and struck a left-footed effort into the net in the 47th minute.
Mamadu completed the scoring in the 72nd minute after Akekoromowei battled past an England defender before squaring the ball into the area. Mamadu applied a composed finish to give the Falconets a three-goal cushion.
The result sends Nigeria into the last eight of the competition, continuing their pursuit of a first FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title.
Nigeria had reached the knockout stage after finishing second in Group F with four points. The Falconets began the tournament with a 2–0 defeat to Spain and a goalless draw against China PR before recovering with a historic 10–1 victory over New Caledonia.
England reached the Round of 16 after finishing second in Group B. The Young Lionesses drew 1–1 with Canada, defeated Tanzania 5–1 and lost 2–1 to Brazil in their final group match.
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