FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup: Nigeria Striker Fires Warning to England Ahead of Round of 16 Clash
- Nigeria's Falconets striker Ramotalahi Kareem issued a bold message to England ahead of the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
- The Falconets secured their place in the knockout stage after a dominant 10-1 thrashing of New Caledonia in Lodz on Sunday, September 13
- Kareem, who scored a hat-trick against New Caledonia, spoke to FIFA.com about Nigeria's preparations for the clash against England
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Nigeria's Falconets are gearing up for a Round of 16 showdown against England at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, with hat-trick hero Ramotalahi Kareem insisting the team is fully prepared for the challenge ahead.
The Falconets, coached by Moses Aduku, secured their place in the knockout stage with a stunning 10-1 demolition of New Caledonia in Lodz on Sunday, September 13, one of the most commanding performances of the tournament so far.
Source: Getty Images
Kareem's hat-trick drives Nigeria into last 16
Nigeria took control of the match early.
The opening goal came after Rafiu weaved past three defenders to win a penalty, which Kareem converted with confidence.
As seen on Nigeria Football Federation's official website, headers from Adegbemile and Akekoromowei extended the lead before Kareem added a fourth, again benefiting from Rafiu's creative influence.
The second half brought more of the same.
Kareem completed her hat-trick, David added a treble of her own, Adegbemile scored her second, and Rafiu capped an outstanding personal display with a strike from outside the penalty area.
New Caledonia's only moment of joy came through a long-range effort by Kourevi, which gave the Pacific side their first goal of the tournament.
Speaking to FIFA.com after the victory, Kareem reflected on both her personal performance and what lies ahead for the squad.
"We hope to achieve great things now that we've got through the group stage. I'm really pleased with my hat-trick. My job is to score goals and helping the team today made me happy.
"We're ready for the match against England. We'll prepare as well as we possibly can for the Round of 16 against a strong side."
Nigeria vs England: A mouth-watering clash
England, who finished second in Group B behind Brazil, will face a Falconets side brimming with confidence.
Both nations must now win or head home, making this a high-stakes encounter with no room for error.
Nigeria's record at this competition gives the squad genuine reason for belief.
The Falconets hold the most successful record of any African country at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, having qualified for every edition since the tournament began in 2002.
The team has twice reached the final, losing 2-0 to hosts Germany in 2010 before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to the same opponents in extra time in 2014.
Nigeria also finished fourth at the 2012 edition in Japan after losing the third-place play-off to the United States.
With that pedigree behind them and the form of players like Kareem and Rafiu driving momentum, Nigeria will head into the England tie as a side that opponents cannot afford to underestimate.
Falconet players cry for help
Earlier, Legit,ng reported about Poland’s decision to deny visas to 15 players in Nigeria’s Falconets squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The Nigeria Football Federation and coach Moses Aduku raced to secure entry clearance before the tournament began.
Source: Legit.ng
