Nigeria thrash New Caledonia 10-1, reach U-20 World Cup knockouts

Nigeria's women's national football team, the Falconets, have secured their place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup following a convincing 10-1 victory over New Caledonia in their final Group F match in Poland. This impressive performance saw Nigeria reach the Round of 16, finishing second in the group behind Spain. The match marked Nigeria's second appearance in the final of the U-20 Women's World Cup, a tournament they have previously reached.

Ramotalahi Kareem and substitute Winner David were the standout performers for Nigeria, both scoring hat-tricks. Rebecca Adegbemile netted two goals, while Seimeyeha Akekoromowei and Tosin Rafiu also found the back of the net. Kareem opened the scoring in the 17th minute, followed by Adegbemile doubling the lead two minutes later. Akekoromowei put Nigeria ahead 3-0 in the 23rd minute, with Kareem adding a second goal in the 27th minute to give the Falcons a 4-0 halftime lead.

David came on at the start of the second half and scored in the 60th minute, increasing Nigeria's lead to 5-0. Kareem completed her hat-trick four minutes later, and Rafiu added Nigeria's seventh goal in the 70th minute. Adegbemile added a second goal seven minutes later. New Caledonia managed to score a consolation goal through Joceline Kourevi in the 89th minute.

With this victory, Nigeria now sits second in Group F with four points, trailing behind Spain who have nine points. China, who lost 3-1 to Spain, also finished the group stage with four points but Nigeria advanced ahead of them on goal difference. The Falconets' success puts them in a strong position to advance to the knockout rounds, where the top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, will compete.