Captain Joy Igbokwe and defender Faridat Abdulwahab, who were eventually not granted visas, have been replaced as the Falconets U20 World Cup Squad settled into their training camp in Trzebnica, Poland.
The Nigeria Football Federation made key squad adjustments after team captain Joy Igbokwe and defender Faridat Abdulwahab were denied entry visas, prompting head coach Moses Aduku to draft in Vivian Kachi and Alaba Olabiyi as direct replacements.
Falconets Step up Preparations in Trzebnica
The two-time FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup silver–medallists commenced training on Wednesday at the Stadion Miejski, Fair Play Arena, with the technical crew and players displaying zeal, intensity and dedication from the outset.
Following their arrival in Poland on Tuesday, the Falconets immediately resumed their training programme, focusing on tactical organisation, technical execution, physical conditioning and team cohesion as they continue to build towards the championship.
As part of their final preparations, the Falconets will play two international friendly matches against Poland on 28th August and South Korea on 1st September.
The matches will provide valuable opportunities for the players to acclimatise further to the conditions in Poland, test themselves against different styles of play, sharpen their tactical understanding and gain experience against quality opposition on the world stage.
Falconets U20 World Cup Friendlies Schedule
The friendly game against the host nation on Friday will take place at the Municipal Stadium in Brzeg, and commence at 12noon local time.
Falconets will play the Koreans at the Remes Resort & Spa Football Stadium, and will kick off at 4 pm local time.
The friendly fixtures will also enable the technical crew to assess the team’s progress and make necessary adjustments ahead of the World Cup, while helping the players adapt to the pace, intensity and demands of international competition.
Head Coach Moses Aduku and his technical crew have continued to demand maximum commitment from the players as the team fine-tunes its approach ahead of the tournament.
Nigeria will compete in Group F alongside Spain, China PR and New Caledonia, with the Falconets set to face Spain on 7th September, China PR on 10th September and New Caledonia on 13th September.
Nigeria, runners-up in the 2010 and 2014 editions, will be aiming to go a step further in Poland and secure the country’s first-ever FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup title.