Malawi U-20 women’s head coach, Maggie Chombo, is confident her team can overturn a two-goal deficit against Nigeria’s Falconets and secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The Young Scorchers were beaten 2–0 in the first leg of the final qualifying round at the Remo Stars Stadium on Saturday.
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An own goal from Maureen Kenneth early in the second half gave Nigeria the breakthrough, before substitute Kindness Ifeanyi quickly doubled the advantage.
Despite the result, Chombo believes the tie remains wide open, stressing the importance of the return leg on home soil.
“It was a good game, but conceding affected our concentration,” she said. “They used their home advantage, and now it’s our turn. We believe we can come back and change the outcome.”
The decisive second leg is scheduled for May 9 at the Bingu National Stadium, where Malawi will look to mount a comeback and keep their World Cup hopes alive.
On the other hand, Falconets head coach Moses Aduku admitted dissatisfaction with his side’s display, despite the comfortable scoreline.
Nigeria created numerous chances but lacked sharpness and cohesion, particularly in the opening half.
“We got the result, but I’m not pleased with the overall performance,”
Aduku said. “Our coordination wasn’t at its best, and we wasted too many chances.”
While acknowledging the importance of the victory, Aduku called for greater efficiency in attack.
“In football, creating chances is one thing, but converting them is what matters. We scored twice, but we should have done better.”
He also ruled out a defensive mindset for the return leg, insisting his team will approach the game with intent.
“We are not going there to defend. We’ll play our football and try to score more goals. The job is not finished yet.”
Aduku further warned against underestimating Malawi, highlighting their resilience ahead of the crucial second leg.
With a World Cup ticket on the line, Nigeria will aim for a more clinical performance away from home, while Malawi will count on home support as they attempt to stage a dramatic comeback.
