By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Nigeria’s intermediate girls football team, Falconets likely opponent in the second round of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026 African qualifiers, Rwanda has taken a bold step to qualify for the next round of the competition after beating their Zimbabwean rivals 2-1 in the first round first leg tie played today at Kigali Pelé Stadium, Kigali.
The match officiated by the Nigeria-born FIFA badged international referee Patience Ndidi Madu had barely started before the host team struck through the efforts of Shamishi Ishmwe ho scored in the 3′ but Zimbabwe rallied to equalize in the 18′ through forward Agnes Kondo.
The winner was scored by Krusha Gikundiro in the 50′ to put Rwanda in the driver’s seat as the return leg holds on Wednesday, May 14 at National Sports Stadium, Harare, Zimbabwe. The winner over two legs will meet Nigeria in the second round of qualifiers.
Elsewhere, South Sudan went goals-crazy by thrashing hapless Djibouti 5-0 on the day Djibouti’s attacker Irenè Makuach scored a brace in a space of two ministers. She scored in the 45′, 57′ respectively.
But it was Laita Maika who scored the fastest goal of the qualifiers when she scored South Sudan’s first goal in the 1′, immediately referee Sylvina Garnett from Liberia sounded her whistle for the start of the match at Juba Stadium, Juba where the return leg tie will take place too on Friday, May 16, 2025. Other scorers are Tata Joan (34′) and Sandra Nakuma (70′).
In Lilongwe, Malawi made home support to count by hitting Minors Central African Republic 3-1 with the Malawians scoring all three goals in the first 45′ as striker Lali scoring a brace in the 1′ and 16′ while Phikani made it 3-0 in 45+4′ just as CAR scored a consolation goal in 76′.
Malawi may have qualified for the second round as the return leg match will also be played in at Bingu National Stadium, Lilongwe because CAR plays her matches away from home because of poor state of the country’s stadiums.
Earlier last Friday, the ‘Lady Elephants’ of Ivory Coast piped the Gambians by a lone goal in the keenly contested match of the first leg of the first round qualifiers played at the Independence Stadium, Bakau when both teams met.
The Ivorians, who brought their international experience, outsmarted a determined Gambian side eager to cause an upset at home but failed.
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Meanwhile, the West African nation Togo will lay ambush against the North African rivals Tunisia at Stade de Kégué, Lomé, in what is expected to be a closely fought match late Sunday.
The Tunisians, with a well-established footballing tradition, will face a motivated Togolese squad eager to make their mark.
A total of four nations will represent Africa at global showpiece set for August next year in Poland.
The first leg of qualifiers will be held from May 9 to 11 with May 16 to 18 scheduled for the return legs.
