Nigeria’s Falconets played out a 1-1 stalemate against Korea Republic in their final warm-up match before the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup gets underway, closing out their preparations on a mixed note.

The Nigerians took charge of proceedings when Mary Mamudu found the net just before the half-hour mark, continuing her impressive scoring form heading into the tournament.

The forward had also been the difference-maker in the team’s previous outing, netting the decisive goal in a narrow 1-0 win over Poland the preceding Saturday.

Korea Republic, however, hit back late on, converting from the penalty spot with 12 minutes remaining on the clock to salvage a share of the spoils and deny Nigeria a perfect send-off before the global showpiece.

With warm-up fixtures now behind them, Moses Aduku’s team will turn their full focus toward the tournament proper, where they open their World Cup campaign against Spain at the Arena Sosnowiec on Monday, September 7.

That clash marks the beginning of a demanding group stage assignment, as the Falconets have also been drawn against China and New Caledonia in the same pool.

The draw sets up a challenging path for the young Nigerian side, who will need to quickly find their rhythm after a friendly campaign that produced one win and one draw.

Attention now turns fully to Poland, as the squad finalises preparations for a tournament that promises stiff competition from the outset of the group phase.