Ahead of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup kickoff, Falconets’ head coach Christopher Danjuma remains confident in his team’s readiness for the tournament.

On Monday night, the Falconets suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Mexico in their last warm-up match in Bogotá, Colombia. 

An early strike in the 15th minute from Alejandra Lomelí proved decisive, as her volley secured the victory for Mexico.

The Falconets fought hard to overturn the deficit, but the match ended 1-0. Despite the result, Danjuma sees the game as a valuable test for his squad.

Speaking after the match, Danjuma expressed the importance of the friendly matches in their preparation: 

“The friendly matches were crucial for the Falconets as they have helped the team fine-tune their strategies and assess their readiness for the tournament,” Danjuma stated, as per Punch.

Reflecting on the team’s strong qualification campaign and overall performance, Danjuma added, “We won five of our six qualifying matches with healthy scorelines and even secured a victory over Australia. The fact that we played two international friendlies, winning one and losing one, shows the girls are ready.”

Danjuma, who has been in charge of the U20 girls since 2017, acknowledged the tough opponents they will face but believes in the team’s spirit and preparation. “The fact that we are up against Korea Republic and three-time winners Germany in our first two matches means we need to be at our best physically, mentally, and psychologically,” he remarked.

The Falconets are heading into the competition with high hopes, aiming to win their first title after finishing as runners-up in 2010 and 2014.

The Falconets will begin their World Cup campaign on September 2nd against Korea Republic, followed by a clash with Germany on September 4th, and will conclude their group stage matches against Venezuela on September 7th.