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“Go All the Way and Clinch the Trophy” — NFF’s Emmanuel Ikpeme Raises the Target After Falconets Crush England
Nigeria Football Federation Acting General Secretary Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme has challenged the Falconets to go all the way and win the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after their commanding 3-0 victory over England sent them into the quarter-finals in Poland.
Ikpeme hailed the result as a major achievement for Nigerian football but made it clear that reaching the last eight should not represent the end of the ambition for Moses Aduku’s side.
“This win is a great feat by the Falconets,” Ikpeme said after Thursday’s Round of 16 triumph.
“We are delighted at the dominant performance and we will continue to encourage and motivate the girls until they go all the way to clinch the trophy.”
His comments came after the Falconets produced arguably their biggest performance of the tournament to eliminate England and preserve Nigeria’s hopes of winning the U-20 Women’s World Cup for the first time.
Nigeria took control of the knockout encounter early, with Tosin Rafiu opening the scoring in the eighth minute.
England were presented with a major opportunity to equalise in the 36th minute, but Rachel Maltby failed to convert from the penalty spot, allowing the Falconets to carry their advantage into half-time.
Nigeria then struck almost immediately after the restart.
Janet Akekoromowei doubled the advantage in the 47th minute, putting England under enormous pressure before Mercy Mamudu added the third in the 73rd minute to effectively settle the contest.
The 3-0 victory was particularly impressive given England enjoyed more possession, but Nigeria were considerably more clinical in the decisive areas.
It also continued an extraordinary turnaround for the Falconets.
Aduku’s team collected only one point from their opening two Group F matches after losing 2-0 to Spain and drawing 0-0 with China PR.
With their tournament survival on the line, Nigeria responded by demolishing New Caledonia 10-1 in their final group fixture, the country’s biggest-ever victory at the competition, to qualify for the Round of 16.
They have now followed that 10-goal performance with three unanswered goals against England, meaning the Falconets have scored 13 goals without conceding across their last two matches.
Nigeria also entered the England encounter carrying the continent’s remaining hopes after becoming Africa’s last surviving representative in the tournament.
For Ikpeme, however, the journey should extend considerably further.
Nigeria have come agonisingly close to becoming world champions at this level before, reaching the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup final in 2010 and 2014 but finishing runners-up on both occasions.
The NFF acting general secretary now wants the current generation to take the additional steps required to finally bring the trophy home.
Head coach Aduku is equally looking ahead rather than dwelling on the England victory.
Following the match, he expressed satisfaction with his players’ performance before immediately turning attention towards the quarter-finals.
“I am happy they did that. We will go back to Łódź and aim for victory against either Poland or Colombia on Sunday,” Aduku said.
Nigeria will therefore return to Łódź knowing another victory will put them into the semi-finals and move them closer to the ultimate target Ikpeme has now publicly set.
The Falconets have already survived a difficult group stage, produced a record 10-goal victory and eliminated England without conceding.
But the message coming from the NFF is that none of those achievements should represent the finishing line.
For Ikpeme, the target has moved beyond reaching another round: keep winning, go all the way — and return from Poland as world champions.
Described as the youngest Igwe Plateau State has ever had, his coronation is being celebrated as a new beginning for the Igbo community in the state.
The new traditional leader has pledged to unite the Igbo community, promote peaceful coexistence with their host communities and contribute to the development of Plateau State.
Earlier after the election in his acceptance speech, Nwosu thanked members of the Igbo community for their overwhelming support and pledged to unite the various factions while promoting peace, harmony and cooperation.
He called on members to put their differences aside, stressing that no society could achieve meaningful development in an atmosphere of division and rancour.
Nwosu also reaffirmed the community’s commitment to contributing to Plateau State’s economic and commercial development, while expressing readiness to partner with Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s administration.
Similarly, the President-General of the Igbo Community Association in Plateau State, Chief Chidi Onah, congratulated Nwosu, describing his election as a demonstration of unity among Igbo-speaking people.
Onah called on members to rally behind the new traditional leader, noting that the community must speak with one voice and work together to advance its collective interests.
The ceremony attracted representatives of the six Igbo-speaking states, as well as representatives of the Council of Chiefs representing Igbo communities across Plateau State.
Other special guest present were the Chief of Bayelsa and Senior Special Adviser to the Plateau State Governor on South-South Affairs, Hon. High Chief Seigha Smooth Ebide, and Hon. Ikenna Mbanefo, former Special Adviser on Igbo Affairs to the immediate past Governor of Plateau State.
A NEW BEGINNING FOR NDIGBO IN PLATEAU STATE!
Congratulations to the new Oche Ndi Igbo IV!
The Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement in the United Kingdom has criticised the Coordinator of the Obidient Movement and the Director-General of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Campaign Council over alleged preoccupation with political disputes rather than their assigned responsibilities.
The UK Coordinator of the OK Movement, Adebayor Brown, made the criticism in a statement on Tuesday, urging political appointees to focus on organising, mobilising supporters and strengthening political structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Brown expressed concern that the attention of the political actors appeared to have shifted from their responsibilities to what he described as unnecessary personal and political disagreements.
He said the approaching 2027 elections required serious leadership, strategic planning and grassroots mobilisation, adding that those entrusted with important positions must demonstrate commitment to their assignments.
Brown particularly faulted repeated claims by the Obidient Movement coordinator that former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, had distanced themselves from the OK Movement.
He questioned the relevance of repeatedly making such claims, asking how they would contribute to the success of the party or advance the democratic aspirations of Nigerians.
He urged the Obidient Movement coordinator and other political actors to focus on rebuilding, revitalising and restructuring the organisation, noting that the responsibility required leadership, organisational competence and measurable results.
Brown also insisted that any position concerning Obi and Kwankwaso should be established through clear and verifiable communication rather than individual assertions.
He called for an end to what he described as divisive rhetoric, stressing that the OK Movement, Obidient Movement and NDC should not be regarded as enemies.
According to him, the groups face a common democratic challenge ahead of the 2027 elections and should prioritise mobilising Nigerians, strengthening political structures and working towards credible elections.
"The OK Movement and the Obidient Movement are not enemies. Neither is the OK Movement in conflict with the NDC," he said.
Brown added that the OK Movement would not be distracted or intimidated by criticisms, insisting that its commitment remained focused on justice, equity, fairness, credible elections and a better Nigeria.
"The time for division is over. The time to work is now," he declared.
2027: NDC campaign DG, others have abandoned their duty, focusing on disputes – OK Movement
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