Nigeria’s Falconets claimed a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Senegal’s Under-20 women’s team in the first leg of their third-round clash in the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, played in Abeokuta on Friday.
The decisive moment came shortly after the restart when Kindness Chinaza Ifeanyi found the back of the net in the 50th minute, breaking the deadlock in a tense and evenly balanced contest. Her goal lifted the home side and sparked a strong spell of pressure as the Falconets pushed for a second to strengthen their advantage.
Senegal responded with resilience, tightening up defensively and creating a few moments of threat, but Nigeria’s backline stayed composed to protect their lead. The Falconets also showed maturity in game management, controlling possession in key periods and limiting Senegal’s attacking opportunities as the match wore on.
The narrow win gives Nigeria a valuable advantage going into the second leg, though the tie remains finely poised. With just one goal separating the two sides, the Falconets will be aware that they must deliver another disciplined performance away from home to secure qualification to the next round of the World Cup qualifiers.
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