The England U‑20 women’s side were knocked out of the 2026 FIFA U‑20 Women’s World Cup after a 3‑0 defeat to Nigeria in the round‑of‑16 match played in Bielsko‑Biala, Poland.
Nigeria took an early lead when midfielder Tosin Rafiu put the Falconets ahead. England’s attempts to level were thwarted by a series of decisive saves from Nigeria’s goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma, who first denied a shot from Princess Ademiluyi and then stopped a penalty from the in‑form Rachel Maltby, sending the ball onto the bar before clearing it.
England’s coach Lydia Bedford admitted that his side struggled to cope with the direct, physical style of the Nigerian forwards. “Nigeria’s forwards were very effective in being direct and physical and I think that was something that perhaps we struggled to compete with at times,” Bedford said.
“I think it’s been a fantastic tournament, we’ve enjoyed being part of it but disappointed to be going home at this stage,” Bedford added on FIFA.com.
The loss ends England’s campaign in the tournament, which is currently underway in Poland.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
