Sports
Fans Task Falconets On World Cup Qualifiers
Nigerians on Tuesday charged the national U-20 female team, the Falconets to prove their mettle at the second round of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers this weekend.
The Falconets qualified for the second round of the qualifiers following the withdrawal of Sierra Leone from the competition and would now host Zimbabwe in the first leg in Abeokuta.
The World Cup will hold in Japan from August 18 to September 8.
The fans said in Lagos that the team should not underrate the Zimbabweans as smaller nations were the ones dominating football now.
Former Super Falcons player, Gift Showemimo, said the Falconets should prove that without the withdrawal of the Sierra Leoneans, they could defeat any team to reach the World Cup.
She said the 29 girls called to camp in Abuja should always adhere to the advice of their coach, reminding them that Nigerians were looking up to them.
The Coordinator, Nigeria Women Premier League (NWPL), Danlami Alanana, commended the list of the players submitted by Coach Edwin Okon, saying it showed there was hope for the league.
Alanana said the girls should not let the country down at the qualifier because “if we miss this qualifier, it will undermine the home-based players,’’ he said.
He said they should not see Zimbabwe as a novice in football, noting also that that the so called inexperienced football countries were surprising the experienced ones.
“We can see what happened at the Africa Cup of Nations, countries we least expected showed up at the tournament and defeated stronger nations. Zambia even won the Cup, so what are we saying?
“Our girls should learn from this and not underestimate any team, we should play like we are already at the FIFA World Cup,’’ he said.
The match will hold at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta.
In a statement released by the league, the competition is scheduled to take place from Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 14, 2026, with six clubs set to battle for the league title at the end of the 2025/26 season.
NWFL Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi, said the choice of Port Harcourt reflects the Rivers State Government’s continued support for women’s football and its successful hosting of the league’s Annual General Assembly last year.
The Super Six tournament will feature the top three teams from Group A and Group B of the regular season competing in a round-robin format, with each club playing five matches over nine days.
Qualified teams for the competition include defending champions Bayelsa Queens, Edo Queens, Rivers Angels, Robo Queens, Nasarawa Amazons, and debutants Abia Angels.
The NWFL Premiership has produced four different winners in the last five editions, with Rivers Angels winning in 2021, Bayelsa Queens claiming the title in 2022 and 2025, Delta Queens triumphing in 2023, and Edo Queens emerging champions in 2024.
The league also urged participating clubs to comply with all competition regulations and directives ahead of the championship. The Super Six will determine Nigeria’s representative for the WAFU-B qualifiers for a place at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League and ultimately the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.
Teams are expected to arrive on Friday, June 5, when the draw ceremony and pre-match meeting will also take place. Matchdays are scheduled for June 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14, with rest days in between before the tournament concludes with the trophy presentation ceremony.
