Nigeria’s Falconets will battle England’s Young Lionesses for a place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup today at Stadion Miejski in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, with Canadian referee Myriam Marcotte appointed to take charge.
The last-16 encounter gives Nigeria another chance to extend their stay at the tournament and build on an impressive finish to the group stage. Moses Aduku’s team secured progression with a commanding 10-1 victory over New Caledonia in their concluding Group F match.
That emphatic result moved the Falconets into second position behind Spain. Nigeria had previously been beaten 2-0 by Spain and drawn 0-0 with China PR. Aduku will again rely on his forward players, including SL Benfica attacker Janet Akekoromowei, who was among those to make a strong impression in the record-setting win.
Winner Onajite David claimed three goals against New Caledonia, while Ramotalahi Kareem also found the net. Nigeria’s forceful second-half performance completed their qualification in emphatic style.
England advanced from Group B in third place behind Brazil. The Young Lionesses began with a 1-1 stalemate against Canada, followed it with a 5-1 triumph over Tanzania, and ended the group phase with a 2-1 defeat by Brazil. They finished ahead of Canada on goals scored after both sides collected the same number of points.
The match is scheduled to begin at 2:00pm Nigerian time. Marcotte, 34, has held FIFA international status since 2019 and has previously worked at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s Championship. Her experience will be central in a tie that carries major consequences for both teams.
Fellow Canadians Gabrielle Lemieux and Mijensa Rensch will serve as assistant referees. Marianela Araya has been named fourth official, while Stefani Escobar will operate as the video assistant referee.
With the winners requiring only one more victory to reach the last eight, the contest represents a significant test for Nigeria. Should the Falconets prevail, their quarter-final opponent will be either tournament hosts Poland or Colombia, increasing the importance of a match being played as the knockout stage gathers pace.
