A former Golden Eaglets assistant coach Bunmi Haruna has backed the Falconets to beat New Caledonia and revive their hopes at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Haruna said in Abuja on Friday that the Falconets showed improved character in their goalless draw against China.

He said the return of some players who missed the opening game against Spain gave Nigeria more options and improved their performance.

“In the first game, the Falconets lost to a better team. The Spanish side were quite better, but the Nigerian side showed more character.

“Against China, they played better than they did against Spain because they had more options in terms of some players returning,” Haruna said.

The former Golden Eaglets coach said the technical crew should avoid major tactical changes and instead focus on mentality, motivation and attention to detail.

“I don’t think they need to change anything right now. They already have their players set. It’s about mentality, motivation and getting the proper details right,” he said.

Haruna backed head coach Moses Aduku and his technical crew to address the team’s shortcomings while maintaining their established tactical approach.

“I don’t think this is the time for us to start talking about a change of tactics or formation. What they need to do is try to fine-tune the details of the way they play,” Haruna added.

Ahead of Sunday’s decisive Group F clash with New Caledonia, Haruna described the encounter as a must-win but warned Nigeria against underrating their opponents.

“It’s a must-win game, but I will advise them not to underrate New Caledonia. It’s very important that you don’t underrate an opponent. New Caledonia will not lie down and allow them to roll through them. It’s going to be difficult until you start getting those goals,” Haruna said.

He commended Aduku for identifying areas requiring improvement and making corrections between matches as the team continued to develop.

“The team keeps improving with every game. The World Cup is the biggest stage. It is the highest level of competition,” Haruna said.

Haruna also defended the Falconets against criticism over their draw with China, citing challenges surrounding the team’s preparations and access to quality training facilities.

“If you say this is a poor result, then I don’t think anyone who says this is a poor result is in tune with the realities of modern football.

“A team preparing for the World Cup should not be in Nigeria at a particular point. It should be somewhere fine-tuning its details,” Haruna said.

He said the coaches and players deserved support after holding China and losing to Spain by only two goals despite the team’s preparation difficulties.

“The coaches have done well. The players have done well. This is the best we can get at this moment. What we can do now is support them and not start blaming anyone,” he said.

Haruna urged Nigerians to support the current squad rather than compare it unfairly with previous Falconets teams that featured players with senior international experience.

“I was actively involved in the preparation of the team when Nigeria got to the Under-20 World Cup final. Then, we had players who were already playing for the Super Falcons. How many of them do we have in the current Under-20 team?” Haruna added.

He said the current squad should be viewed as part of Nigeria’s long-term player development programme, with players being prepared for eventual promotion to the Super Falcons.

“As it stands right now, it is about exposing these girls and ensuring that we have a line of talent that can be graduated into the Super Falcons,” he said.

Nigeria are drawn alongside Spain, China and New Caledonia in Group F of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

Spain lead the group with six points and a plus-13 goal difference, followed by China with four points and Nigeria with one point.

New Caledonia are bottom without a point ahead of Sunday’s final group matches.

Nigeria will face New Caledonia at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Łódź and need victory to keep their qualification hopes alive.

The Falconets have reached the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup final twice, finishing runners-up in 2010 and 2014.

The 2026 tournament began on September 5 and will end on September 27 in Poland. 

(NAN)