Nigeria’s Falconets will face a stern test when they take on tournament favourites Germany in their second group match of the 11th FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup on Wednesday night, Soccernet.ng reports.
After securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Korea Republic, the Nigerian side will be looking to build on their momentum and position themselves strongly for a place in the Round of 16.
Flourish Sabastine’s late strike was the decisive factor in Nigeria’s opening game, which saw the Falconets edge past a resilient Korean side.
The match, played at the Estadio El Techo in Bogota, was a tight affair with few clear-cut opportunities for either team.
Despite this, the Falconets created the better chances, particularly in the second half, where they showed their attacking intent.
However, the upcoming match against Germany will be an entirely different challenge.
The Germans, who are three-time champions of the tournament, started their campaign with a commanding 5-2 victory over Venezuela.
Germany’s dominance in the group stages of previous tournaments, having lost only two of their last 20 group matches, highlights the formidable task ahead for the Falconets.
This will be the fifth meeting between Nigeria and Germany at the U-20 Women’s World Cup, with the Falconets yet to record a win against the Europeans.
Their most notable encounters include losses in the finals of the 2010 and 2014 editions, where the Germans proved too strong.
Nigeria’s coach, Christopher Danjuma, remains optimistic, however.
“It (The Korea game) was a tough match, being the first match. The victory is sweet because it puts your foot in the group,” Danjuma told FIFA.com after the win over Korea Republic.
“My team performed well, but I know we’re going to perform much, much, much better than this.”
For Nigeria, the key to success will likely lie in their ability to stifle Germany’s attacking threats while capitalising on the counter-attack, a strategy that worked well against the Korea Republic.
Players like Sabastine, who showed her quality with the winning goal in the last match, will need to be at their best.
As both teams prepare for this crucial fixture, the Falconets will be aiming to break their winless streak against Germany and take a significant step towards the knockout stages.
The match promises to be a fascinating contest between two teams with contrasting styles but a shared ambition of advancing in the tournament.
