Nigeria vs Colombia: Falconets FIFA U-20 World Cup Quarter-Final, Kick-off Time & How to Watch Live

Nigeria’s Falconets will face Colombia in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup on Sunday, 20 September, with a place in the semi-finals at stake. The match is at Stadion Miejski ŁKS Łódź in Łódź. Kick-off is 3:00pm Poland time, 2:00pm Nigerian time.

This is not a meeting of two sides that have played the same kind of tournament. Nigeria have scored 13 goals in four matches and just put three past England. Colombia have scored four in four, and their only knockout goal was an own goal. One team arrives with finishing. The other arrives with organisation and a habit of staying in games they do not dominate.

How Nigeria reached the quarter-finals

Nigeria opened Group F with a 2-0 defeat to Spain and a 0-0 draw with China PR. Second place was secured by a 10-1 win over New Caledonia. Spain won the group with nine points. China PR also finished on four points. Nigeria’s goal difference put them second.

The New Caledonia match was the turning point. Ramotalahi Kareem scored a hat-trick. Winner Onajite David also scored three. Rebecca Adegbemile scored twice. Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei and Tosin Rafiu added one each. Nigeria had 48 attempts and 22 shots on target in that game alone.

The Round of 16 was a different test. Nigeria still won 3-0. Rafiu scored in the 8th minute, Akekoromowei in the 47th, Mary Mamudu in the 73rd. Christiana Uzoma saved Rachel Maltby’s first-half penalty when the score was still 1-0.

England vs Nigeria (Round of 16)

                        🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿                 🇳🇬
Goals                   0                   3
Attempts               12                  13
Shots on target         7                   7
Corners                 4                   8
Offsides                3                   2
Yellow cards            1                   0

Scorers: 8' Tosin Rafiu, 47' Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei, 73' Mary Mamudu.

England put seven attempts on target and still scored none. Nigeria were more efficient with a similar number of efforts.

Nigeria now have 13 goals in four matches. The team have two clean sheets (China PR and England). Uzoma has three personal clean sheets. She was substituted in the 62nd minute against New Caledonia, before Joceline Kourevi scored in the 89th.

How Colombia reached the quarter-finals

Colombia beat Costa Rica 3-1, drew 0-0 with Portugal and lost 0-3 to North Korea. They finished third in Group E and advanced as one of the four best third-placed teams.

The three group-stage goals all came against Costa Rica: María Fernanda Viáfara from the penalty spot, Mariana Silva and Catalina Cortés. Against Portugal they created 14 attempts and six on target and still did not score. Against North Korea they managed three attempts and none on target.

The Round of 16 followed the same pattern. Poland had 22 attempts to Colombia’s 12 and four shots on target to Colombia’s two. Colombia still won 1-0 when Martyna Bartczak scored an own goal in the 89th minute.

Poland vs Colombia (Round of 16)

                        🇵🇱                 🇨🇴
Goals                   0                   1
Attempts               22                  12
Shots on target         4                   2

They have not scored from open play in their last three matches.

FIFA tournament figures show why they are still here. Colombia have attempted 401 line breaks (199 completed), made 550 offers to receive, forced 143 turnovers and applied 661 pressing actions. Viáfara leads the team with 215 passes. Silva has 10 crosses. Valerin Loboa leads Colombia with eight attempts at goal.

Nigeria vs Colombia so far after 4 games

                        🇳🇬                 🇨🇴
Matches                 4                   4
Wins                    2                   2
Draws                   1                   1
Losses                  1                   1
Goals scored           13                   4
Goals conceded          3                   4
Goal difference       +10                   0
Clean sheets            2                   2
Group finish     2nd, Group F    3rd, Group E
Round of 16      3-0 England         1-0 Poland
Line breaks att.      441                 401
Line breaks comp.     257                 199
Pressing actions      604                 661
Forced turnovers      147                 143

Colombia finished third in Group E and qualified as a best third-placed team. Colombia press slightly more. Nigeria complete more line breaks and have scored more than three times as many goals. That is the split for Sunday: Colombia will try to crowd the middle and wait; Nigeria will try to break lines and finish the way they did after half-time against England.

Key players to watch

Nigeria

• Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei | 🇳🇬 Two goals, Player of the Match against England, involved in the third goal as well.

• Tosin Rafiu | 🇳🇬 Two goals, including the opener against England.

• Christiana Uzoma | 🇳🇬 Captain. Penalty save at 1-0 against England. Three personal clean sheets from four games.

• Ramotalahi Kareem | 🇳🇬 Three goals, all against New Caledonia. The first name Colombia have to account for in the box.

• Winner Onajite David | 🇳🇬 Three goals in the same match. Used from the bench against England.

• Tumininu Adeshina | 🇳🇬 Started against England. Leads Nigeria with 30 crosses and assisted Akekoromowei against New Caledonia.

Colombia

• Fernanda Viáfara | 🇨🇴 One goal, from the spot vs Costa Rica. Team-high 215 passes.

• Mariana Silva | 🇨🇴 One goal vs Costa Rica. Team-high 10 crosses.

• Valerin Loboa | 🇨🇴 Eight attempts, most on the team.

• Juana Ortegón | 🇨🇴 Assist against Costa Rica. “We will think about Nigeria first… we’re going match by match.”

Previous meetings

One meeting at this tournament.

29 July 2010 - Semi-final - Schüco Arena, Bielefeld - 🇨🇴 0-1 🇳🇬

Head to head: 🇳🇬 1 win | 🇨🇴 0 wins | Draws 0

That win sent Nigeria to the 2010 final. It is also Colombia’s last U-20 Women’s World Cup semi-final. Sixteen years on, the squads are new. Head to head might not matter now. The record is context only.

Possible starting XI

See the line up on the Victor Ademola WhatsApp Community about an hour before the match. These projections follow the shapes and personnel used in the Round of 16: Nigeria 4-2-3-1 against England, Colombia 4-4-2 against Poland.

Nigeria projected XI vs Colombia (4-2-3-1)
Christiana Uzoma;
Onyedikachi Ekezie, Jumai Adebayo, Tumininu Adeshina, Rebecca Adegbemile;
Favour Nkwocha, Kafayat Mafisere;
Tosin Rafiu, Precious Oscar, Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei;
Ramotalahi Kareem.

Possible bench: Bright Effiong Etim, Mary Mamudu, Winner Onajite David, Victory Lucky, Folajomi Olabiyi, Queen Joseph, Chisom Nwachukwu, Amber Ogbolu, Hannah Ibrahim, Jane Ijirigho.

Coach: Moses Aduku

Assistants: Abdullahi Mansur, Efioanwan Ekpo

Colombia projected XI vs Nigeria (4-4-2)
Luisa Agudelo;
Mercedes Martínez, María Torres, María Fernanda Viáfara, Samantha Rodríguez;
Sintia Cabezas, Mariana Silva, Isabel Weiner, Juana Ortegón;
Valerin Loboa, Maithe López.

Possible bench: Isabella Díaz, Catalina Cortés, Brenda Cardona, Mariana Mosquera, Lina Arboleda, Alejandra Baldovino, Sofia Ortiz, Jimena Ospina, Saray Marín, Sara Bohórquez.

Coach: Carlos Paniagua

Assistants: Viviana Cardona, Michael Florez

Lina Arboleda was sent off in the 87th minute against Portugal and was not in the Poland matchday list. That ban should now be served, so she is available again.

THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE FALCONETS' RUN | 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup

Nigeria's FIFA team stats at the U-20 Women's World Cup so far:

• 586 offers to receive

• 257 line breaks completed from 441 attempted

• 604 pressing actions

• 147 forced turnovers

• 228 final third entries received, 140 of them down the wings (81 left, 59 right)

Individual leaders:

• Tumininu Adeshina: 30 crosses

• Queen Joseph: 109 sprints

• Kafayat Mafisere: 119 offers to receive and 118 pressing actions

• Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei: 20 attempts at goal and 51 receptions between the midfield and defensive lines

• Tosin Rafiu: 37.70km covered, the most in the squad

• Jumai Adebayo: 197 passes, 100 attempted line breaks and 57 completed

What is at stake

Winner to the semi-finals. Loser out.

Nigeria are in a quarter-final for the ninth time (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026). FIFA lists that as level with the United States. Only Germany have more last-eight appearances (10). Nigeria last reached a semi-final in 2014. Best finishes: runners-up in 2010 and 2014.

Colombia have maintained an impressive tradition at the U20 Women's World cup: across their four appearances at the tournament, they have never been eliminated before the quarter-finals. Their last semi-final was 16 years ago which they lost to Nigeria.

The road to the semi-finals

The winner plays the winner of North Korea vs Canada on Wednesday, 23 September, at 6:30pm local time (5:30pm Nigerian time), again at Stadion Miejski ŁKS Łódź.

Coach Aduku after England Game:

“I told the players, this game is gone, let’s have a short celebration because we have the next game to play so let’s focus on the next [one].”

Ortegón, Colombian midfielder:

“We will play match by match. We are very happy to be in the quarterfinals, so we will think about Nigeria first, but this team will always compete to win. Our dream is to win the world title, but we’re going match by match.”

Sunday is a quarter-final between a side that has started finishing its chances and a side that has stayed in tight games.

Nigeria vs Colombia kick-off time

Match: Nigeria Falconets 🇳🇬 vs Colombia U20 🇨🇴
Competition: 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup
Round: Quarter-final (Match 48)
Date: Sunday, 20 September 2026
Venue: Stadion Miejski ŁKS Łódź, Łódź, Poland
Kick-off: 3:00pm Poland time, 2:00pm Nigeria time
Referee: Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi (Italy)

How to watch Nigeria vs Colombia live

The tournament is on FIFA+ and DAZN in selected territories. Nigerian viewers should check FIFA+ and local listings for confirmation of live coverage.

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