Spain Beat Nigeria 2-0 at U-20 World Cup
Spain opened their defence of a recent U-20 Women’s World Cup pedigree with a controlled 2-0 win over Nigeria at Arena Sosnowiec on Monday, goals from Marisa García and substitute Alba Cerrato leaving La Rojita with three points and a clean sheet in Group F.
García scored in the 13th minute after Noemí Bejarano worked the right and cut the ball back for a close-range finish. Nigeria goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma had already made several saves in the first quarter of an hour. The Falconets’ first clear look did not arrive until the 37th minute, when Kafayat Mafisere shot wide from distance. After the break David Aznar changed his front line. Cerrato, on from the bench, ran onto a through ball in the 73rd minute and finished inside Uzoma’s near post. Precious Oscar and other Nigerian substitutes arrived at half-time but Spain’s midfield and press kept them to scraps.
Aznar said a first-match win at this level keeps a team’s fate in its own hands. Moses Aduku had called the game a cup final beforehand. Nigeria, runners-up in 2010 and 2014, sit third in the group and meet China on Thursday. Spain play debutants New Caledonia next.
China had already set the group standard earlier in the day with a 5-0 win over New Caledonia at the same ground, taking first place on goal difference. The 24-team format still lets four of the six best third-placed sides into the last 16, so neither Nigeria nor New Caledonia is mathematically finished, but the room for error is small.
Elsewhere on Monday, DPR Korea beat Portugal 2-0 in Group E at Stadion Miejski ŁKS Łódź. Colombia then defeated Costa Rica 3-1 at the same stadium. Hosts Poland lead Group A after a 3-0 opening win over Argentina. Benin, in their first World Cup, drew 2-2 with Mexico after trailing by two. Brazil beat Tanzania 4-1 to lead Group B. Italy’s 2-1 victory over the United States was the sharpest early surprise in Group D.
The 12th U-20 Women’s World Cup runs in four Polish cities until 27 September. Group games end on 13 September; the knockout stage starts on the 16th. Spain were champions in 2022 and runners-up in 2024.
China’s five-goal win and the presence of Japan, France, Brazil and the United States mean the road to the Łódź final will not be empty. Nigeria’s meeting with China is now the match that will decide whether the Falconets still have a realistic path. Spain, already off the mark and without a goal against, can treat New Caledonia as a chance to keep control of their own qualification.
