FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers: Governor Makinde rewards Falconets with $15,000 after Rwanda rout
Oyo State Governor, Engineer Oluseyi Makinde, on Saturday showered praise and cash on Nigeria’s U20 women’s team, the Falconets, gifting them $15,000 following their emphatic 4–0 victory over Rwanda in a 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying match at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.
The two-time World Cup runners-up sealed a 5–0 aggregate win, booking a third-round clash against either Senegal or Algeria in February 2026.
The Falconets came out firing with purpose, passion, and relentless energy from the first blast of Gambian referee Ngum Fatou’s whistle. They nearly opened the scoring in the 3rd minute when Janet Akekoromowei’s close-range chip narrowly missed the target.
Nine minutes later, the breakthrough arrived. Winger Tessy Ojiyovwi burst down the left flank and delivered a pinpoint cross for Precious Oscar to side-foot past goalkeeper Iramuzi Belise.
Belise denied Akekoromowei three minutes later, but was helpless in the 20th minute when she tipped defender Tumininu Adeshina’s curling corner into her own net for Nigeria’s second.
Ojiyovwi came close again on the half-hour mark, and before halftime, both Oscar and Akekoromowei threatened to extend the lead.
In the second half, Esther Inyang’s effort from Oscar’s dazzling run sailed just over in the 59th minute. But a minute later, Akekoromowei made no mistake, slicing a precise grounder past Belise to make it 3–0.
Ojiyovwi thought she had added a fourth in the 65th minute, only for her goal to be ruled offside. The final blow came in the 90th minute when substitute Alaba Olabiyi — scorer of the lone goal in Kigali, diverted Taiwo Afolabi’s shot into the net to seal the rout.
