U-20 WWC: ‘How lies led to visa denial for two key players’

The Nigeria women's national football team, known as the Super Falconets, faced unexpected setbacks at the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland. Captain Joy Igbokwe and creative midfielder Faridat AbdulWahab failed to participate in the tournament due to visa-related issues. Igbokwe, a crucial leader and ball-winning player, and AbdulWahab, known for her creative passing, were unable to join the team.

Despite these absences, the Falconets achieved an impressive 10-1 victory over New Caledonia, and narrowly defeated England 3-0. However, their absence proved significant, as Nigeria was eliminated in the last-eight stage. Colin Udoh, a former media officer of the Super Eagles, revealed that both players had lied during their visa interviews at the Polish embassy.

Multiple officials in the Nigeria Football Federation confirmed that both players had provided untruthful answers to a question asked during the visa interview, which was repeated three times. Despite appeals and interventions from NFF officials, the players' insincerity prevented them from obtaining the necessary visas. Igbokwe was recognized as Nasarawa Amazons' player of the season and a standout in the NWFL, while AbdulWahab had previously excelled at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in the Dominican Republic before advancing to the Under-20 team.