Falconets: Christopher Danjuma retains high hopes for World Cup despite friendly loss to Mexico

By Asuquo

Posted on August 27, 2024

Falconets’ head coach Christopher Danjuma remains confident in his team’s readiness for the upcoming FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.

Danjuma expressed his confidence following Nigeria’s U20 girls’ narrow 1-0 defeat to Mexico in their final warm-up match in Bogota, Colombia. Mexico’s early strike, a 15th-minute volley from Alejandra Lomelí, proved decisive, but Danjuma believes the game was a valuable test for his squad.

Reflecting on the match, Danjuma emphasized the importance of these preparatory games in refining the Falconets’ strategies. “The friendly matches were crucial for the Falconets as they have helped the team fine-tune their strategies and assess their readiness for the tournament,” Danjuma stated, according to Punch.

While acknowledging that the result against Mexico was not ideal, Danjuma stressed the invaluable experience gained as the team gears up for the World Cup. The Falconets had previously secured an impressive 2-1 victory over Australia, which boosted their confidence heading into the tournament.

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Danjuma highlighted the team’s overall preparedness, saying, “We won five of our six qualifying matches with healthy scorelines and have added victory over the Australians. The fact that we played two international friendly matches and won one and lost one shows the girls are ready.”

Looking ahead to the World Cup, Danjuma is fully aware of the challenge in Group D, where Nigeria will face Korea Republic, Germany, and Venezuela. “The fact that we are up against the Korea Republic and three-time winners Germany in our first two matches means we need to be at our best physically, mentally, and psychologically,” he remarked.

Despite the tough competition, Danjuma remains optimistic about the Falconets’ chances, underscoring that the team is in strong physical and mental shape and ready to compete at the highest level.

The Falconets will kick off their World Cup campaign on 2nd September against Korea Republic, followed by a clash with Germany on 4th September, and will conclude their group stage matches against Venezuela on 7th September.