Nigeria’s Under-20 women’s team, the Falconets, edged hosts Rwanda 1-0 in the first leg of their 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup second-round qualifier in Kigali on Sunday, Afrosport reports.
The match, played at the Kigali-Pele Stadium in the Nyamirambo district, was fiercely contested, with both sides battling hard but unable to find a breakthrough during a cagey opening half.
The decisive moment came in the 70th minute when Alaba Olabiyi struck from close range after a corner led to a goalmouth scramble, securing victory for Nigeria and delivering a winning start for head coach Moses Aduku in his first match in charge.
The #Falconets edged Rwanda 1–0 in the first leg of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifier.
All eyes now on the return leg in IBADAN 💪🏽.#FIFAU20WWCQ | #SoarFalconets pic.twitter.com/3nMzU5wgSf
— NGSuper_Falcons (@NGSuper_Falcons) September 21, 2025
The two teams will meet again in the return leg at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, Nigeria on Saturday, 28 September.
The Falconets’ delegation is scheduled to return to Nigeria on Monday morning to begin preparations.
