Japan Vs Nigeria: Falconets seek to end unwanted 10-year-old record at FIFA Women’s U20 World Cup

Nigeria’s Falconets will have to overcome a very technical, disciplined and good Japan women’s U20 side to break a 10-year-old record of crashing out at the first knockout phase of the competition since a 6-2 victory against Korea DPR in the 2014 semi-finals.

The Nigerians went all the way to the final that year, losing 1-0 to Germany in extra in the final played at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada.

Since then, the Falconets have not gone beyond the last 16 in the tournament, crashing out at the group phase in 2016, lost 2-1 to Spain in the last 16 in 2018 in France and 2-0 to the Netherlands at the same stage two years later in Costa Rica.

The Nigerians will be up against a formidable Japanese that were not only one of five teams to win all three of their group outings at the ongoing competition but also a team only failed to score in one of their last 19 U-20 Women’s World Cup matches.

The two sides will clash at the Estadio El Techo in Bogota and Christopher Danjuma, the head coach of the Nigerian will be seeking to match words with action as he has vowed to return the Falconets to the pointy end of things after they fell at the quarters in the previous editions.