Nigeria defeats England 3-0 to reach U-20 Women's World Cup quarterfinals

Nigeria's Under-20 women's team, the Falconets, delivered a commanding performance to defeat England 3-0 in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland on Thursday. The victory secured Nigeria's place in the quarterfinals, where they will face Colombia on Sunday. The Falconets established control early, with Tosin Rafiu scoring in the eighth minute to give Nigeria a 1-0 lead. The team maintained pressure throughout the first half, with goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma making a crucial save from a Rachel Maltby penalty in the 33 minute following a VAR review. Uzoma's intervention preserved Nigeria's advantage going into halftime. Nigeria extended its lead just two minutes into the second half when Janet Akekoromowei scored in the 47th minute. Substitute Mary Mamudu, introduced in the 61st minute, completed the scoring in the 73rd minute after receiving an assist from Precious Oscar. Nigeria coach Moses Aduku suggested after the match that England had underestimated his team. "The English team is a very good side and I think they underrated us. They never believed that we could play up to this level," Aduku told FIFA Media.