Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team head coach, Moses Aduku, has assured that the Falconets will approach the second leg of their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying clash against Senegal with focus, determination, and tactical discipline, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The Falconets claimed a narrow but crucial 1–0 victory in the first leg played at the Moshood Abiola Sports Arena, Abeokuta, on Saturday. Substitute Kindness Ifeanyi proved to be the match-winner, rising to head home the decisive goal five minutes into the second half of a fiercely contested encounter.
That result puts Nigeria in a favourable position ahead of the return leg, with even a draw in Dakar enough to secure qualification for the final round of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
Speaking after the match, Aduku was quick to dismiss any suggestion that his team would adopt a defensive approach away from home. According to him, caution without attacking intent could be costly.
“We are not going there to sit back and defend, that would be dangerous,” Aduku said during his post-match press conference. “We will do our best to score first and then build on that.”
The coach acknowledged the challenge posed by the Senegalese side in the first leg but maintained confidence in his players’ quality and mentality ahead of the decisive return fixture.
“They fought well, but we know we have the quality to beat them. It will be the same approach in the second leg,” he added.
Reflecting on the victory in Abeokuta, Aduku praised his players for their resilience and fighting spirit, describing the game as a stern test.
“It was a tough game, but the important thing is that we have an advantage going into the second leg. I must commend the players because they fought hard for this win,” he said.
The Falconets are expected to step up preparations in the coming days as they look to build on their slim advantage and seal qualification. The second leg of the tie is scheduled for Saturday, 14 December, in Dakar, Senegal.