Nigeria vs England: Falconets Starting XI Released for FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Round of 16

Nigeria and England have released their starting line-ups for their FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Round of 16 clash in Poland.

The Falconets face England at Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała, with kick-off scheduled for 2:00pm Nigerian time.

Nigeria head coach Moses Aduku has made changes to the team that started the 10-1 victory over New Caledonia, with Precious Oscar returning to the starting XI.

Nigeria Starting XI

Goalkeeper

1. Christiana Uzoma

Defenders

4. Onyedikachi Ekezie

5. Jumai Adebayo

6. Tumininu Adeshina

7. Rebecca Adegbemile

Midfielders

2. Favour Nkwocha

3. Kafayat Mafisere

4. Tosin Rafiu

Attackers

8. Ramotalahi Kareem

9. Precious Oscar

10. Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei

Coach: Moses Aduku

Assistant Managers: Abdullahi Mansur, Efioanwan Ekpo

Precious Oscar returns after missing Nigeria's final group-stage match against New Caledonia through suspension.

Ramotalahi Kareem also starts after scoring a hat-trick in that 10-1 victory.

Winner Onajite David, who also scored three goals against New Caledonia, starts on the bench.

Nigeria substitutes

17. Jane Ijirigho

18. Bright Effiong Etim

19. Victory Lucky

20. Hannah Ibrahim

21. Amber Ogbolu

22. Winner Onajite David

23. Queen Joseph

24. Chisom Nwachukwu

25. Folajomi Olabiyi

26. Mary Mamudu

England Starting XI

England head coach Lydia Bedford has also named her starting XI for the knockout encounter.

Goalkeeper

1. Katie Cox

Defenders

2. Ria Bose

3. Chloe Sarwie

4. Zara Shaw

5. Rachel Maltby

6. Lucy Newell

Midfielders

4. May Cruft

5. Lola Brown

6. Vera Jones

Attackers

9. Princess Ademiluyi

10. Lily Dent

Coach: Lydia Bedford

Assistant Manager: Robert Gier

Rachel Maltby starts for England after an impressive group stage in which she scored four goals, including a hat-trick against Tanzania.

Princess Ademiluyi and Lily Dent also start in attack.

England substitutes

13. Kaiya Jota

14. Eve Annets

15. Cecily Wellesley-Smith

16. Sacha Lewis

17. Eleanor Klinger

18. Chloe Hylton

19. Vivienne Lia

20. Eva Hendle

21. Layla Drury

22. Jessie Gale

A place in the quarter-finals

Nigeria reached the knockout stage after finishing second in Group F with four points.

The Falconets lost 2-0 to Spain in their opening match, drew 0-0 with China PR and then defeated New Caledonia 10-1 in their final group game.

England also finished second in their group with four points.

They drew 1-1 with Canada, defeated Tanzania 5-1 and lost 2-1 to Brazil.

The two teams now meet in a straight knockout contest, with the winner advancing to the quarter-finals.

Kareem and Maltby among the players to watch

Nigeria will look to Ramotalahi Kareem once again after her three-goal performance against New Caledonia.

Kareem is one of Nigeria's leading attacking threats and will be expected to play an important role against England.

Precious Oscar's return also gives Moses Aduku another attacking option.

For England, Rachel Maltby enters the game as the team's leading scorer with four goals.

She scored once against Canada before producing a hat-trick in England's 5-1 victory over Tanzania.

Nigeria vs England

Competition: FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2026
Round: Round of 16
Match: Nigeria 🇳🇬 vs England 🏴
Date: Thursday, 17 September 2026
Venue: Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała, Poland
Kick-off: 2:00pm WAT

The winner will advance to the quarter-finals, while the losing team will be eliminated from the competition.

Nigeria come into the knockout stage after scoring 10 goals in their final group match, but England represent a significantly tougher challenge.

The Falconets will now look to carry their attacking momentum into the knockout rounds while maintaining the defensive discipline required against an England side that has scored seven goals in three group-stage matches.

Nigeria 🇳🇬 vs England 🏴 | Round of 16

Kick-off: 2:00pm WAT

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