By ADERONKE OJO

The Nigeria U-20 Women’s national team, the Falconets, began their U-20 WAFU-B Girls Cup campaign on Saturday in Benin on a bright note, defeating Ghana’s Black Princesses 3-1.

Head coach, Moses Aduku, named a strong starting XI, with Taiwo Afolabi returning to the squad after featuring for the Super Falcons in recent World Cup qualifiers.

Janet Akekoromowei and Precious Oscar also earned starting roles, while captain Joy Igbokwe led the team from midfield.

The opening half lived up to the billing of a fierce West African derby, with both sides battling for control in the middle of the park.

Nigeria, however, broke the deadlock in the 37th minute after a Ghanaian defender handled the ball inside the area.

Akekoromowei made no mistake from the spot, sending goalkeeper Grace Andoh the wrong way to hand the Falconets a deserved lead.

On resumption of the second half, Akekoromowei struck again in the 46th minute showing great composure to lift a clever lob over Andoh pouncing on a loose ball in the Ghanaian box.

Ghana halved the deficit just four minutes into the second half through Sarah Nyarko, who finished from close range to restore hope for the Black Princesses 2-1.

The Ghanaians pressed for an equaliser, but Nigeria’s backline remained resolute, frustrating their opponents with disciplined defending.

The Falconets sealed the win two minutes from time when Favour Chiamaka in-swinging corner sailed over Andoh into the net, restoring Nigeria’s two-goal advantage.

With the 3-1 victory, Nigeria top Group A and will next face hosts Benin Republic on Sunday and later meet Ghana on Tuesday by 10.a.m

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2025 WAFU Zone B Under-20 Girls’ Cup started on Friday will end on Wednesday with just three participating nations -Nigeria, Ghana, and hosts Benin Republic.

The WAFU B U-20 Girls’ Cup serves as a crucial developmental platform for identifying new talents and preparing national squads for upcoming CAF and FIFA youth competitions. (NAN)