ŁÓDŹ, Poland — Nigeria's Falconets reached the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup with a 10–1 victory over New Caledonia. Ramotalahi Kareem and Winner Onajite David scored hat-tricks as Nigeria finished second in Group F and booked a knockout match against England.
How did Nigeria's Falconets reach the U-20 World Cup last 16? Nigeria defeated New Caledonia 10–1 in its final Group F match, finishing level with China on four points but advancing in second place on goal difference. Kareem and David scored three goals each, while Rebecca Adegbemile added two.
A four-goal first half removed the pressure
Nigeria entered the final group match with one point after losing 2–0 to Spain and drawing 0–0 with China PR. The Falconets needed a win and a favourable result in the simultaneous China–Spain match to claim second place.
Kareem converted a penalty in the 17th minute before Rebecca Adegbemile doubled the lead two minutes later. Janet Akekoromowei made it 3–0 in the 23rd minute, and Kareem scored again four minutes later. The FIFA match record shows Nigeria leading 4–0 before the half-hour mark.
That start changed the qualification calculation. Spain beat China 3–1 in the other Group F match, giving Nigeria the opportunity to overtake China on goal difference. The Falconets then turned a necessary win into the largest victory in their U-20 Women's World Cup history.
Kareem and David complete hat-tricks
Substitute Winner Onajite David scored Nigeria's fifth goal in the 60th minute. Kareem completed her hat-trick four minutes later, and Tosin Rafiu added another goal in the 70th minute. Adegbemile's second made it eight before David scored twice more.
New Caledonia's Joceline Kourevi scored in the 89th minute, the Pacific side's first goal of the tournament. David completed her hat-trick in stoppage time to close the scoring at 10–1.
FIFA's tournament review credited Kareem with the player-of-the-match award and recorded the full scoring sequence. The Nigeria Football Federation also confirmed the result, advancement and England tie.
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Falconets Beat New Caledonia 10–1 to Reach Last 16
14 sept. 2026
14 sept. 2026
4 min read
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ŁÓDŹ, Poland — Nigeria's Falconets reached the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup with a 10–1 victory over New Caledonia. Ramotalahi Kareem and Winner Onajite David scored hat-tricks as Nigeria finished second in Group F and booked a knockout match against England.
How did Nigeria's Falconets reach the U-20 World Cup last 16? Nigeria defeated New Caledonia 10–1 in its final Group F match, finishing level with China on four points but advancing in second place on goal difference. Kareem and David scored three goals each, while Rebecca Adegbemile added two.
A four-goal first half removed the pressure
Nigeria entered the final group match with one point after losing 2–0 to Spain and drawing 0–0 with China PR. The Falconets needed a win and a favourable result in the simultaneous China–Spain match to claim second place.
Kareem converted a penalty in the 17th minute before Rebecca Adegbemile doubled the lead two minutes later. Janet Akekoromowei made it 3–0 in the 23rd minute, and Kareem scored again four minutes later. The FIFA match record shows Nigeria leading 4–0 before the half-hour mark.
That start changed the qualification calculation. Spain beat China 3–1 in the other Group F match, giving Nigeria the opportunity to overtake China on goal difference. The Falconets then turned a necessary win into the largest victory in their U-20 Women's World Cup history.
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Kareem and David complete hat-tricks
Substitute Winner Onajite David scored Nigeria's fifth goal in the 60th minute. Kareem completed her hat-trick four minutes later, and Tosin Rafiu added another goal in the 70th minute. Adegbemile's second made it eight before David scored twice more.
New Caledonia's Joceline Kourevi scored in the 89th minute, the Pacific side's first goal of the tournament. David completed her hat-trick in stoppage time to close the scoring at 10–1.
FIFA's tournament review credited Kareem with the player-of-the-match award and recorded the full scoring sequence. The Nigeria Football Federation also confirmed the result, advancement and England tie.
Nigeria wins the goal-difference race
The Falconets finished Group F with four points: one victory, one draw and one defeat. China also collected four points, but Nigeria's nine-goal winning margin produced the stronger goal difference and secured second place behind Spain.
BusinessDay's match report records the turnaround after Nigeria failed to score in its first two group games. The team moved from two goalless outings to 10 goals in one afternoon, an emphatic response to the pressure of possible elimination.
The result also preserved Nigeria's record of reaching the knockout stage at every edition of the competition. The Falconets were runners-up in 2010 and 2014, but have yet to win the title.
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England await in the Round of 16
Nigeria will face Group E winner England in the Round of 16 on Thursday, 17 September. The knockout match presents a different challenge: England topped its section, while Nigeria's path depended on a dramatic final-day recovery.
For coach Moses Aduku, the main selection question is how to use the attacking options that changed Sunday's match. Kareem began the rout and David supplied three goals after coming from the bench. Adegbemile and Rafiu also contributed to a spread of scoring that may matter against a stronger opponent.
The NFF said acting general secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme praised the team for responding when qualification was at stake. Its official account confirms the next opponent but does not guarantee the precise later-round path; only the England match is fixed.
Why the 10–1 result matters
The score is more than a comfortable group win. It is Nigeria's biggest victory in this tournament, surpassing an 8–0 win over Finland in 2006. It also makes Kareem and David part of a small group of Nigerians to score U-20 Women's World Cup hat-tricks.
Tendances actuelles
Populaire aujourd'hui
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Nigeria's senior women's team has long carried the country's global reputation in women's football. The Falconets' comeback offers a younger generation its own tournament moment and keeps an African team in contention in Poland.
XTRAfrica has previously covered Nigeria's women's football rivalry with South Africa and profiled emerging African players such as Cameroon's Naomi Eto. The England match will show whether Sunday's attacking breakthrough can carry into the knockout stage.
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