Nigeria’s Falconets have been eliminated from the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after Colombia snatched a dramatic 1-0 victory in their quarter-final clash in Łódź, Poland.
The Nigerian side appeared to have done enough to force the match into extra time after keeping Colombia scoreless for the entire 90 minutes. However, Valerin Loboa struck in the second minute of stoppage time to send Colombia into the semi-finals and end Nigeria’s campaign.
The Falconets had several opportunities to break the deadlock during the contest but were unable to convert their chances.
Janet Akekoromowei came closest in the first half when her effort from the edge of the box crashed against the crossbar, while Tumininu Adeshina also tested Colombia goalkeeper Luisa Agudelo with a powerful effort that was tipped over.
Nigeria’s challenge became more difficult in the 77th minute when Kafayat Mafisere was shown a straight red card following a dangerous challenge on Samantha Rodriguez. The dismissal was confirmed after a VAR review, leaving the Falconets to finish the match with 10 players.
Despite being a player down, Nigeria continued to defend resolutely and still looked capable of surviving until extra time.
Colombia, however, finally found the breakthrough deep into stoppage time. Loboa’s initial effort was blocked by Nigerian goalkeeper and captain Christiana Uzoma, but the Colombian forward reacted quickest to the rebound and fired home the decisive goal.
The defeat ends Nigeria’s hopes of returning to the semi-finals for the first time since 2014. The Falconets had entered the quarter-finals with confidence after producing an impressive 3-0 victory over England in the Round of 16.
Nigeria, two-time runners-up at the U-20 Women’s World Cup, will now leave the tournament at the quarter-final stage, while Colombia advance to the last four.
For the Falconets, a campaign that had promised so much ended in painful fashion — just moments before extra time appeared within reach.
