WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Falconets Step Up Preparations for Crucial U20 World Cup Qualifier
Nigeria U20 women’s head coach, Moses Aduku, has expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Falconets as they intensify preparations for their third-round FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying clash against Senegal.
Speaking on the team’s build-up, Aduku said the weeks spent in camp have been productive, with all invited players fully present and responding positively to training.
He noted that the technical crew has focused on tactical organisation, team cohesion and overall match strategy, adding that the players have shown commitment, discipline and high intensity throughout the sessions.
The coach stressed that the team’s full attention remains on the crucial qualifier, particularly the need to secure a strong result in the first leg at home. He explained that a series of friendly matches have played an important role in evaluating and fine-tuning the team’s system, with emphasis on improving attacking play while maintaining defensive balance.
Aduku described the performances in the warm-up matches as encouraging, but cautioned that the real test lies ahead against a determined Senegalese side.
Nigeria will host the first leg of the tie at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan on Saturday, February 7, before travelling to Dakar for the return leg scheduled for Saturday, February 14.
The Falconets, two-time FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup silver medallists and semi-finalists at the tournament in Japan 14 years ago, are expected to travel to Ibadan on January 27 to continue their final phase of preparations ahead of the encounter.
While refraining from making bold predictions, Aduku expressed confidence in the quality and mentality of his squad, citing their competitive displays in recent friendly matches. He reaffirmed the team’s determination to make the nation proud and secure qualification for the next stage.
The winner of the Nigeria–Senegal fixture will advance to the final round of the African qualifiers, where they will face the winner of the Guinea-Bissau versus Malawi tie for one of the continent’s four tickets to the World Cup.
The 12th edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup will be held in Poland from September 5 to 27, 2026.
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A second-half surge helped Manchester United comfortably defeat Aston Villa for their first victory in three Women’s Super League matches and move one point behind third-placed Arsenal.
Kirsty Hanson had cancelled out Julia Zigiotti Olme’s opener for United in the first half but goals from Elisabeth Terland, Jessica Park and Hanna Lundkvist after the restart ensured Marc Skinner’s side returned to winning ways.
United dominated possession in the early stages and were rewarded with the breakthrough at Villa Park.
Ellie Roebuck failed to deal with Zigiotti Olme’s inswinging corner, which flew over the Villa goalkeeper and straight into the top‑right corner to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute.
But their advantage lasted only two minutes as Hanson struck against her old side, finishing through the legs of Jayde Riviere to wrong-foot keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce for her seventh league goal of the season.
Tullis-Joyce, however, was on hand to keep out Maya Hijikata’s curling effort late in the first half to make sure the score remained level at the interval.
United had to wait until the 71st minute to regain the lead when Hinata Miyazawa’s ball into the box was knocked down by Melvine Malard for substitute Terland to fire home a first-time effort.
Jess Park then drove into the box and finished past Roebuck to give United a two-goal cushion before she played in Lundkvist to score her first WSL goal and seal the victory.
The result means United sit fourth with 25 points while Villa are seventh with 16 points.
-BBC
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FIFA has announced record-breaking prize money for the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup™, underlining its commitment to accelerating investment and excellence in women’s club football worldwide.
The winners of the first-ever women’s intercontinental club championship will receive an unprecedented USD 2.3 million, the highest single payout ever awarded in women’s club football. The runners-up will earn USD 1 million for reaching the final, which will be played at Arsenal Stadium, London, on Sunday, 1 February 2026.
The prize structure further extends to the semi-finalists, with each of the two losing teams set to receive USD 200,000 in participation payments. The two clubs eliminated in the earlier rounds — Auckland United FC of New Zealand (OFC) and Wuhan Chegu Jiangda WFC of China PR (AFC) — will each receive USD 100,000.
In total, nearly USD 4 million will be distributed among the six participating clubs based on performance, a move FIFA says reflects its long-term belief in the growth and sustainability of women’s club football.
“A total payout of close to USD 4 million distributed among the six participants based on their performance is a clear statement of the belief in women’s club football and the players, teams and competitions driving its continued rise,” said FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström.
“It reflects the global growth of the women’s game and FIFA’s commitment to making targeted, meaningful investments that strengthen women’s club football for the long term.”
The FIFA Women’s Champions Cup 2026™ is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the women’s club game globally. Following the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, FIFA distributed USD 11.3 million to 1,041 clubs worldwide through the Club Benefits Programme. These initiatives have been complemented by reforms to the Women’s International Match Calendar and the launch of new elite club competitions.
Looking further ahead, FIFA has confirmed that the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup™, scheduled to debut in 2028, will introduce training compensation, club solidarity mechanisms and minimum standards programmes aimed at boosting performance and ensuring long-term sustainability across women’s club football.
The maiden FIFA Women’s Champions Cup will bring together the champion clubs from each confederation to compete for the title of women’s intercontinental club champions. The final phase of the tournament will be staged in London from Wednesday, 28 January to Sunday, 1 February 2026.
The semi-finals will take place at Brentford Stadium on Wednesday, 28 January. Gotham FC of the United States, champions of Concacaf, will face SC Corinthians of Brazil, the CONMEBOL titleholders, at 12:30 GMT, followed by Arsenal Women FC, the reigning UEFA champions, taking on ASFAR of Morocco, winners of the CAF Women’s Champions League, at 18:00 GMT.
The tournament will conclude at Arsenal Stadium on Sunday, 1 February, with the third-place play-off at 14:45 GMT, followed by the final at 18:00 GMT, when the first-ever FIFA Women’s intercontinental club champions will be crowned.
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By Kunle Solaja, Casablanca
Rabat will take centre stage in African women’s football on Thursday, 15 January 2025, when the Final Draw for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2026 is conducted.
The ceremony, scheduled for 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT / 15:00 Cairo), will also feature the announcement of winners in key women’s categories at the CAF Awards, underscoring a landmark day for the women’s game on the continent.
Organised by the Confédération of African Football, the draw represents a historic milestone for the competition, which will feature an expanded 16-team format for the first time.
The qualified teams for Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 are hosts Morocco alongside Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.
In addition to the draw, CAF will unveil the winners of three women’s football awards that were originally slated for the CAF Awards 2025 ceremony but postponed due to the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League season. CAF recently reopened voting for the affected categories.
The awards to be announced are:
- CAF Women’s Coach of the Year
- CAF Women’s Interclub Player of the Year
- CAF Women’s Club of the Year
CAF clarified that while it oversees and coordinates the process, it does not participate directly in voting.
Voting panels vary by category, with the Women’s Interclub Player of the Year decided by media representatives as well as captains and coaches from the CAF Women’s Champions League. The Women’s Coach of the Year is voted on by media and Member Association coaches, while the Women’s Club of the Year is determined by media and the CAF Women’s Technical Committee.
Thursday’s events in Rabat are expected to set the tone for what promises to be a defining edition of Africa’s premier women’s football tournament.
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