Falconets ready to finish job against Malawi - coach Aduku

Nigeria's U-20 women's football team head coach Moses Aduku has expressed confidence ahead of his team’s decisive second-leg clash against Malawi in the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

The Falconets travel to Malawi holding a comfortable 2-0 aggregate advantage from the first leg as they look to secure another appearance at the global tournament.

The return leg is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, with the winner over two legs earning qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, set to take place from September 5 to 27.

Nigeria’s Falconets boast a perfect qualification record in the competition’s history and will be aiming to maintain that impressive tradition.

Speaking ahead of the encounter, Aduku insisted his side would not adopt a defensive approach despite carrying a first-leg advantage.

“We will not go defensive; rather, we will take the game to them and try to score. We know they will come out to play because they need goals,” Aduku said.

Aduku pointed to the numerous chances his team created in the first leg as evidence that Nigeria can score again in the return fixture.

“If we created many chances when they sat back in the first leg, imagine the opportunities we will have when they come out to attack,” he explained.

The coach also expressed confidence in his team’s defensive organisation and goalkeeping strength, describing the squad as “solid” and fully focused on securing qualification.

While Nigeria are seeking yet another appearance on the world stage, Malawi are hoping to qualify for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history.