Nigeria’s U20 women’s national team, the Falconets, kicked off their WAFU B U20 Women’s Cup campaign with a statement victory defeating defending champions Ghana 3–1 in Adjouhoun, Benin Republic on Saturday.
Janet Akeremkowei stole the show with a brilliant brace that set the tone for the Falconets’ dominant display. The forward opened scoring in the 40th minute from the penalty spot after a foul in the Ghanaian box.
Moments before halftime, Akeremkowei doubled the advantage with an individual piece of brilliance to make it 2–0 for Nigeria.
Janet Akeremkowei. Photo Credit: X
The Black Princesses pulled one back shortly after the restart, reducing the deficit to 2–1 and sparking hopes of a comeback. But those hopes were dashed late in the game when Favour Nkwocha fired home a stunning strike from a corner kick in the 88th minute to seal a convincing 3–1 win for the Falconets.
The victory marks a strong start for head coach Moses Aduku, who is leading Nigeria into the regional competition for the first time since replacing long-serving coach Chris Danjuma in July.
Aduku, who previously guided Bayelsa Queens and Edo Queens, also served as Danjuma’s assistant during the Falconets’ impressive run to the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.
Moses Aduku. Photo Credit: WAFU/X
The WAFU B U20 Women’s Cup, which runs from November 7 to 12, has been trimmed to just three teams Nigeria, Ghana, and hosts Benin following the late withdrawal of Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
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In response, organisers adopted a round-robin format, meaning each team will face the others twice, with the side accumulating the most points crowned champions.
The tournament offers more than just regional bragging rights. It also serves as vital preparation ahead of the final rounds of the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria recently advanced to the third round after a 5–0 aggregate victory over Rwanda, and will next face Senegal, who defeated Algeria 6–0 on aggregate. The winner of that tie will move on to face either Guinea-Bissau or Malawi in the final qualifying round.
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Nigeria will face hosts Benin next on Sunday morning before another clash with Ghana on Tuesday. The final match of the competition comes on Wednesday, November 12.
