Abuja: The Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, has urged the Nigeria U-20 women’s national team, also known as the Falconets, to aim for victory in their upcoming friendly match against Korea Republic. This match is set to be their final preparatory game before the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, NFF’s Director of Media and Communications, Ademola Olajire, revealed in a statement that Ikpeme’s encouragement followed the Falconets’ recent 1-0 triumph over Poland in a friendly held at the Municipal Stadium in Brzeg. Mary Mamudu’s goal in first-half stoppage time secured the win for the team, who are two-time World Cup runners-up.
The Falconets will face Korea Republic on Tuesday, September 1, at the Remes Sports Leisure and Spa Stadium. Ikpeme emphasized that a victory in this match would bolster the team’s confidence as they head into the World Cup. He commended the team’s performance against Poland and stressed the importance of maintaining their winning mentality.
Ikpeme remarked, “You did very well in your friendly match against the host nation by holding your own and eventually emerging victorious. The NFF and the entire Nigerian nation are proud of you. The victory over Poland has instilled a winning mentality in you, and another victory over Korea Republic on Tuesday will sustain that mindset.”
He further encouraged the team to strive for success in their group-stage matches at the World Cup, which include encounters with Spain, China PR, and New Caledonia. The Falconets are scheduled to open their campaign against Spain on Monday, September 7, followed by matches against China PR on September 10 and New Caledonia on September 13.