Nigeria have booked a ticket in the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia after defeating Burundi 2-0 in the second leg of the qualifiers in Abuja on Saturday.
The Falconets built on their 1-0 win from the first-leg in Tanzania as Esther Ajakaye grabbed a second-half brace at the MKO Abiola National Stadium.
It was a goalless affair in Abuja until Ajakaye broke the deadlock in the 78th minute and the 18-year-old doubled the lead on the stroke of full-time for Christopher Danjuma’s ladies.
The success means Nigeria have qualified for every edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup since its inception in Canada back in 2002.
The Falconets are yet to win the age-grade tournament and their best finish has been as runners-up in the 2010 and 2014 editions.
At the 2022 edition in Costa Rica, Nigeria were knocked out in the quarter-final stage after a 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands.
This year’s U20 Women’s World Cup will have 24 teams competing for glory in Colombia after FIFA announced its expansion in October 2023.
The draw details for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup are yet to be revealed but the tournament will kick-off on August 31.
