Nigeria U20 women’s national team, the Falconets, defeated Malawi 2-0 in the first leg of their final round qualifier for the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup at the Remo Stars Stadium on Saturday, www.aclsports.com reports.
Two second half goals, an own goal from Maureen Kenneth and a composed finish from Ifeanyi Kindness, handed the Falconets a deserved first leg advantage ahead of the return fixture in Lilongwe.
The Falconets dominated possession from the start, dictating the tempo and pinning Malawi back for long spells. However, despite their control, they were unable to break the deadlock in a tightly contested first half.
Nigeria eventually opened the scoring early in the second half when pressure inside the box forced Maureen Kenneth into turning the ball into her own net in the 46th minute.
After taking the lead, the Falconets pushed forward again and were rewarded in the 58th minute when Ifeanyi Kindness finished calmly to double the advantage and put the tie firmly in Nigeria’s control.
Malawi struggled to cope with Nigeria’s attacking pressure, while the Falconets stayed solid defensively and managed the game well to secure the win.
The return leg is scheduled for May 9 at the Bingu National Stadium, with Nigeria holding a strong advantage as they aim to complete the job and secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
