Colombia defeated Nigeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland, ending the Falconets' campaign with a 92nd-minute goal by Valerin Loboa. The decisive moment came in the second minute of added time, when Loboa pounced on her own blocked shot to score after goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma had initially saved the attempt. Nigeria had held firm for most of the match, creating several chances but failing to convert, including a 19th-minute strike by Janet Akekoromowei that hit the crossbar and a 38th-minute long-range effort from Tumininu Adeshina that forced a save from Colombia's Luisa Agudelo.
The Falconets arrived at the knockout stage with momentum, having recovered from two winless group games to deliver a 10-1 win over New Caledonia and a dominant 3-0 victory over England. That win over England, powered by Akekoromowei's volley and Uzoma's penalty save against Rachel Maltby, had raised hopes of a first semi-final appearance since 2014. Despite being reduced to 10 players before Colombia's goal, Nigeria continued to press but could not find the breakthrough. Uzoma's performance was widely praised, though her inability to stop the rebound proved decisive.
The Falconets created multiple chances but failed to score, while Colombia needed just one rebound to advance. That single moment ends Nigeria's campaign, despite a resilient performance and near-miss moments that could have changed the outcome.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
