sports

Falconets Arrive in Poland for 2026 World Cup

Published

2 months ago

August 26, 2026

Falconets Poland 2026 preparations begin as Nigeria’s U-20 women arrive ahead of World Cup matches against Spain, China PR and New Caledonia

Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, arrived in Poland on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, ahead of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which begins on 5 September, with head coach Moses Aduku and his 21-player squad now entering the final stage of preparations for the tournament.

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The arrival marks the next phase of a campaign that has been building since Nigeria secured qualification in May.

The Falconets earned their place at the finals after overcoming Malawi 3-2 on aggregate in the final qualifying round, having earlier defeated Rwanda and Senegal during the qualifying campaign.

Nigeria’s qualification extended one of the most remarkable records in women’s youth football.

The Falconets have appeared at every edition of the competition since the tournament began as an U-19 championship in 2002, making Nigeria the only African nation to have maintained that record.

The team spent its final preparation period in Abuja, where the technical staff focused on fitness, tactical organisation, team cohesion and mental readiness before travelling to Europe.

Aduku has expressed confidence in the squad’s preparation and said the players are approaching the tournament with the ambition of competing for the title. Captain Joy Igbokwe has similarly called on Nigerians to continue supporting the team.

The Falconets will initially be based at Hotel Trzebnica in Trzebnica, where they are expected to continue their technical and tactical work and acclimatise to the conditions before moving into the official FIFA accommodation on 3 September.

Nigeria’s Group F campaign will begin against Spain on 7 September at the Arena Sosnowiec.

China PR will provide the second test on 10 September before Nigeria completes the group stage against New Caledonia on 13 September. FIFA lists Spain, Nigeria, China PR and New Caledonia as the four teams in Group F.

The group presents a demanding opening challenge. Spain arrive as reigning European U-19 champions and have made clear their ambition to compete for the World Cup title.

Spain’s U-20 coach David Aznar described the side as competitive and said the team would travel to Poland determined to win.

China PR, meanwhile, are returning to the competition for the first time in eight years.

Their head coach Wang Jun has described the tournament as an important opportunity for the development of a new generation of Chinese players.

New Caledonia will make history as first-time participants at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

The Pacific side secured qualification by reaching the final of the 2025 OFC Women’s U-19 Championship and will enter Group F as tournament debutants.

The Falconets have considerable experience to draw upon. Nigeria finished as runners-up in 2010 and 2014 and reached the semi-finals in 2012.

At the 2024 tournament in Colombia, Nigeria defeated Korea Republic 1-0 in the group stage before losing 2-1 to Japan after extra time in the round of 16.

That history creates both an opportunity and a challenge for Aduku’s young squad. Nigeria has consistently reached the global stage, but the team is still searching for its first U-20 Women’s World Cup title.

The 2026 tournament will be the 12th edition and will feature 24 teams across four Polish host cities: Bielsko-Biała, Katowice, Łódź and Sosnowiec. The final is scheduled for Łódź on 27 September.

Aduku’s final squad contains 21 players, including captain Igbokwe and several players who have progressed through the team’s demanding qualification campaign.

The group will now have a short window to adapt fully to the Polish environment before the competitive action begins.

For the Falconets, the immediate priority is preparation rather than expectation.

The arrival in Poland gives Aduku and his players an opportunity to sharpen their tactical approach, settle into their surroundings and build momentum before facing one of the tournament’s strongest sides in Spain.

The long-term objective, however, is clear. Nigeria wants to turn its extraordinary record of qualification and previous final appearances into a first world title.

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The first opportunity to take a step towards that ambition comes in Sosnowiec on 7 September.

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Brands

Mbappe Apologises Over Mao Zedong Comment as Chinese Brands End Deals

Published

19 hours ago

October 27, 2026

Peculiar Adirika

Mbappe Mao Zedong comment sparks backlash in China, prompting an apology from the Real Madrid star and the termination of two brand partnerships

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has apologised over an “ill-judged” comment about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong after Chinese drinks manufacturer Dongpeng Beverage and dairy producer Mengniu terminated their partnerships with the French football star.

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Mbappe, who captains France’s national team, issued the apology on his X account on Tuesday, acknowledging that his remarks had upset people in China and Chinese communities worldwide.

“My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologise to everyone my words have upset,” he said.

The controversy followed the circulation of a video in which the 27-year-old footballer reacted to an internet meme featuring his face superimposed on that of a Chinese leader.

He reportedly described it as the funniest meme he had seen and referred to the figure as “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator”, in an apparent reference to Mao.

Dongpeng Beverage announced on Tuesday that it was ending its partnership with Mbappe, citing its opposition to comments considered offensive to Chinese national sentiment.

“Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments,” the company said.

“With immediate effect, we are terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe,” it added.

Mengniu, one of China’s largest dairy producers, also announced that it was ending its partnership with the Real Madrid forward.

“With immediate effect, our company is terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe,” the company said, adding that it maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.

The announcements generated widespread discussion on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where Dongpeng’s decision to end its partnership with the footballer became a trending topic.

Mao, who led the Chinese Communist Party and died in 1976, remains a highly sensitive historical and political figure in China.

Comments perceived as disrespectful towards him can provoke strong public reactions.

Mbappe had previously addressed memes comparing him to historical dictators in an interview with French sports newspaper L’Equipe in September.

“There’s a part of it that’s funny. You can tell that, for some people, it’s all in good fun. But there is another part that’s a bit less funny because of the damage such people have caused throughout history,” he said.

He added that being compared with individuals responsible for mass killings and widespread suffering was uncomfortable.

“Being compared to individuals who murder others, or who have brought misery to millions upon millions of people — well, I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like that in my life,” Mbappe said.

International sports figures have previously faced commercial and public backlash in China over politically sensitive comments concerning Taiwan, Tibet and Hong Kong.

In 2019, a social media post by then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey expressing support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong prompted Chinese authorities and businesses to suspend NBA-related activities.

NBA games were subsequently absent from Chinese state television broadcasts for about a year.

In 2023, former NBA player Dwight Howard also faced criticism on Chinese social media after referring to Taiwan as a country in a video featuring Taiwan’s then vice president, Lai Ching-te.

Also read: Police Confirm Three Killed, Inspector Injured in Kebbi Violence

Mbappe’s apology comes amid the fallout from the latest controversy and the decisions by Dongpeng Beverage and Mengniu to end their commercial relationships with the footballer.