Nigeria will face Venezuela, South Korea and former champions Germany in Group D of the 2024 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Super Falconets discovered their group opponents following Wednesday’s draw in Bogota.
This year’s U-20 Women’s World Cup will be hosted by Colombia, with the tournament scheduled to take place from 31 August to 22 September.
The Falconets will be aiming to do better than they did two years ago in Costa Rica when they coursed through the group stage with three wins from three matches, only to be eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
Christopher Danjuma’s troops have had the benefit of playing in several matches since booking their place at the World Cup in January, having participated in the 2023 African Games in Ghana three months ago.
Super Falconets paired against former world champions Germany
While Nigeria failed to win the African Games, the Falconets tested themselves against the best teams in the continent as they went all the way to the final, where they were beaten 2-1 by hosts Ghana.
Danjuma’s side will face tougher opposition at the World Cup in Colombia, especially with three-time champions Germany also drawn in Group D. The Falconets have a chequered history with the European nation, as Germany have denied them the chance of being crowned champions twice after beating Nigeria in the final of the U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2010 and 2014.
The Falconets are, however, the second most experienced side in their group, with both South Korea and Venezuela enjoying very little success in the tournament in the past. Meanwhile, Nigeria are one of four African countries that’ll be featuring in this year’s tournament. The others are Ghana, Morocco and Cameroon.
Cameroon have been drawn in Group A, alongside hosts Colombia, Australia and Mexico. Morocco are also in Group C with Spain, Paraguay and the USA, while Ghana have been paired in Group E with Japan, Austria and New Zealand.
See the full draw below:
Group A: Colombia, Australia, Cameroon, Mexico
Group B: France, Canada, Brazil, Fiji
Group C: Spain, USA, Paraguay, Morocco
Group D: Germany, Venezuela, Nigeria, South Korea
Group E: Japan, New Zealand, Ghana, Austria
Group F: Korea DPR, Argentina, Costa Rica, Netherlands
