Nigeria cruise into U-20 Women’s World Cup quarter-finals after thrashing England

Nigeria’s Falconets have stormed into the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after a commanding 3-0 victory over England.

The West Africans produced another impressive attacking display to secure their second win of the tournament and extend their goalscoring tally to 13 in four matches.

Tosin Rafiu set Nigeria on their way in the eighth minute, giving the Falconets an early advantage and putting England under immediate pressure.

Nigeria maintained control for much of the first half but were given a scare when England won a penalty.

Captain Christiana Uzoma, however, kept Nigeria ahead with a crucial save from Rachel Maltby’s spot-kick, denying England the chance to level the contest before the break.

Akekoromowei, Mamudu seal emphatic win

The Falconets returned from the interval with renewed intent and quickly extended their advantage.

Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei doubled Nigeria’s lead just two minutes into the second half, putting the quarter-final-bound side firmly in control.

England struggled to respond as Nigeria continued to dictate the game and create opportunities in the attacking third.

Mary Mamudu eventually put the result beyond doubt in the 73rd minute, completing the scoring and sealing a convincing 3-0 victory.

The result underlines Nigeria’s attacking strength at the tournament, with the Falconets now having scored 13 goals across their four matches.

Falconets set sights on quarter-final

Nigeria have now recorded two victories, one draw and one defeat at the competition, while keeping two clean sheets.

Their latest result also provides further momentum as they prepare for the knockout stage, where they will face either Poland or Colombia.

The Falconets will return to action on September 20, 2026, at Stadion Miejski ŁKS Łódź in Łódź.

The quarter-final is scheduled to kick off at 6:30pm WAT, with Nigeria aiming to continue their impressive run and secure a place in the semi-finals.