By Amofokhai Williams
Nigeria’s Falconets have been eliminated from the 2026 FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup after suffering a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Colombia in their quarter-final clash on Sunday.
The Falconets battled bravely despite being reduced to 10 players, holding Colombia to a goalless draw through 90 minutes before Valerin Loboa struck in the second minute of added time to send the South Americans into the semi-finals.
Nigeria dominated possession for significant periods of the encounter, enjoying 58 per cent of the ball and registering 14 attempts compared with Colombia’s five.
However, the Nigerian side struggled to turn its territorial advantage into clear-cut opportunities, with the match statistics showing Colombia had the only big chance of the game.
The first half ended goalless as both sides cancelled each other out, with Nigeria maintaining its defensive shape and Colombia unable to find a breakthrough.
The contest became increasingly difficult for the Falconets in the second half, with both teams receiving bookings as the physical intensity of the quarter-final increased.
Nigeria made substitutions in an effort to change the flow of the match, with Joseph Queen replaced by David Winner in the 61st minute, while Favour Nkwocha came on for Precious Oscar in the 76th minute.
The Falconets were eventually punished deep into stoppage time when Loboa found the decisive goal in the 92nd minute, leaving Nigeria with virtually no time to respond.
The defeat brought a dramatic end to Nigeria’s campaign, with the Falconets unable to convert their possession and shot advantage into the goal that would have taken them into the last four.
