The Falconets have made two changes to their squad for the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, with captain Joy Igbokwe and defender Faridat Abdulwahab replaced after they were unable to secure visas for the tournament.
The duo were part of the original 21-player squad selected to represent Nigeria in Poland but were eventually not granted the necessary visas to travel with the team. Their absence has led to the inclusion of Vivian Kachi and Alaba Olabiyi in the Falconets’ final squad.
It serves as a big blow to Igbokwe, who had captained the team during the Falconets’ successful qualifying campaign. The midfielder will be hugely missed by Aduku’s side as she played an important role in the team’s preparations for the World Cup.
Abdulwahab was also part of the squad that completed the team’s final preparations in Nigeria before the Falconets departed for Poland on Monday night. Both players, however, will now miss the global tournament due to the visa setback.
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Kachi and Olabiyi have subsequently joined the squad as replacements as Head Coach Moses Aduku and his technical crew continue preparations in Trzebnica. The Falconets began training on Wednesday at the Stadion Miejski, Fair Play Arena, following their arrival in Poland on Tuesday.
The team’s preparations will include two international friendly matches, against hosts Poland on August 28 and South Korea on September 1. The games will provide the technical crew with an opportunity to assess the squad and fine-tune their plans ahead of the competition.
Nigeria will compete in Group F alongside Spain, China PR and New Caledonia. The Falconets will open their campaign against Spain on September 7, face China PR three days later and conclude the group stage against New Caledonia on September 13.
Despite the huge setback, the Falconets will look to make the most of their preparations in Poland as they pursue the country’s first FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup title.
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