Falconets held by Korea in final World Cup warmup
Retold by Oddsrama · 1 September 2026
Nigeria's Falconets couldn't find a way past South Korea in what was supposed to be a final confidence-builder ahead of the U20 Women's World Cup, settling for a 1-1 draw in their last warmup fixture. Mary Mamudu put the side ahead in the 29th minute, continuing her hot streak after netting in a 2-1 victory over Poland just days earlier. But Korea equalised from the penalty spot in the 78th minute to deny the Nigerians a perfect send-off.
It's a mixed bag heading into the tournament proper. While the Falconets showed they can score and compete at this level, conceding from a spot-kick will be a concern for the coaching staff. That said, Nigeria has been to two U20 World Cup finals before, so there's pedigree in the squad. The draw keeps them in decent shape, though they'll be eager to bounce back stronger when the real tournament starts.
Monday, September 7 marks the official start of Nigeria's campaign, with Spain as their opening opponent. The group stage also includes China and New Caledonia—a decent draw on paper. How the Falconets perform early on will likely dictate the odds around their chances of reaching the knockout stages. If they can find their rhythm after the Korea setback and get Mary Mamudu firing consistently, they'll give themselves a genuine shot at going deep in the competition.
Related stories
Oddsrama retells the day's football news in our own words, with full credit to the source. 18+. Play responsibly.