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Colombia 2024: Falconets off to Bogota for two-week final camping ahead World Cup finals
Joel Ajayi
Two-time finalists Nigeria will set up camp in the Colombian capital, Bogota as from Sunday, for a two-week final camping programme leading to the commencement of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals which begin in that country on the last day of this month.
The ever-present Falconets, who also reached the semi-finals in Japan 12 years ago and have been in the quarter-finals in 2006, 2018 and 2022, grabbed one of Africa’s tickets to this year’s final tournament after aggregate-score defeats of Tanzania and Burundi.
The Coach Christopher Musa Danjuma-led maidens spent four weeks in the first phase of their final camping in Abuja, during which they won a series of friendly games, losing only once.
“I want to thank the NFF for arranging the two-week camping in Colombia. This will go a long way to help the team, as the players will acclimatize very well and get familiar with their surroundings before the championship begins. I assure you that we will make the best use of this opportunity,” Danjuma told thenff.com on Saturday, hours before the team was due to fly out of the country to Istanbul aboard a Turkish Airline flight, en route Bogota.
On Friday, Sports Minister John Owan Enoh met with the squad, and charged them to go for the ultimate prize having won the silver medals previously and being in the semi-finals once.
“Your predecessors have done well reaching the final of the competition on two occasions and making the semi-finals once. It is now time for you to take our country further by winning the trophy. I commend the NFF for arranging the two-week final camping for you in Colombia that will enable you to acclimatize very well before the tournament.
“The Government and the people of this great country are with you, and I am confident that you will not disappoint.”
Present in Canada in 2002 when the tournament was launched as an U19 Championship, the Falconets have participated in Thailand 2004, Russia 2006, Chile 2008, Germany 2010, Japan 2012, Canada 2014, Papua New Guinea 2016, France 2018 and Costa Rica 2022. The global coronavirus pandemic made any tournament impossible in 2020.
Already drawn to play Korea Republic, Germany and Venezuela in that order in the group phase, the Falconets know they must start fighting hard from the first blast of the whistle in Bogota to have any chance of making the Round of 16, as the competition welcomes 24 teams for the very first time.
With the field expanded to 24, Africa now has four flag-bearers (Nigeria, Morocco, Cameroon and Ghana this time) Matches will take place in four venues in three different cities (Bogotá, Medellín and Cali). There will be two venues in Bogotá – Estadio El Campín and Estadio Metropolitano de Techo. The Estadio Atanasio Girardot in Medellín and the Estadio Pascual Guerrero in Cali are the other venues.
Nigeria’s first match of the tournament against Korea Republic holds inside the 10,000 -capacity Estadio Metropolitano de Techo in Bogota on 1st September – the same venue where they confront Germany three days later. Their final match of the group phase is against Venezuela at the Estadio Pascual Guerrero in Cali on 7th September.
News
DNKI President Champions Humanitarian Service, Sustainable Community Development
Cyril Samania
The President of De Norsemen Kclub International (DNKI), Chief Oliver Patrick Ityohegh, has reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to humanitarian service, stressing the importance of supporting vulnerable people and improving community welfare beyond the annual celebration of Humanitarian Day.
Ityohegh stated this during the organisation’s Cauldron Night and Award Presentation held to commemorate its 2026 Humanitarian Day celebration, theme: “Humanity First: Advancing Hope, Dignity and Community Well-being.” organised by the DNKI Abuja Chapter.
He emphasised that humanitarian service should be a continuous responsibility driven by compassion, solidarity and a commitment to making a meaningful difference in society.
According to him, DNKI’s humanitarian activities reflect its dedication to giving back to society and supporting people in need, while encouraging members to sustain initiatives that promote human dignity and community well-being.
He added that the organisation would continue to strengthen its humanitarian engagements through practical interventions aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable people and promoting community development.
Speaking at the event, the representative of the Abuja Chapter Chairman and Chairman of its Advisory Council, Prince Efiong Okpe, said the organisation’s humanitarian activities extended beyond the annual celebration of Humanitarian Day on October 15.
Okpe explained that DNKI undertook several initiatives throughout the year, including blood donation exercises, visits to hospitals and correctional centres, as well as support for orphanages and other vulnerable groups.
According to him, the organisation also collaborated with humanitarian bodies in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to identify areas of need and provide assistance within its available resources.
He described Humanitarian Day as an opportunity for members to renew their commitment to service and demonstrate solidarity with people facing difficult circumstances.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Planning Committee and Coordinator of the DNKI Gwagwalada Zone, Mr Etudaiye Hamzat, disclosed that the chapter had provided financial assistance to some members to help pay their children’s school fees, alongside distributing bags of rice and other relief items to members experiencing hardship.
Hamzat explained that the interventions followed concerns over the difficulties some members faced in meeting their family responsibilities, particularly the rising cost of their children’s education.
He maintained that supporting members in need was consistent with the organisation’s humanitarian principles, adding that DNKI remained committed to extending assistance to non-members and vulnerable communities as part of its commitment to leading by example.
Looking ahead, Hamzat said the Abuja Chapter planned to expand its humanitarian outreach to remote communities within the FCT, with particular attention to orphanages, schools and widows facing difficulties in meeting their family responsibilities.
He also recalled previous interventions for internally displaced persons (IDPs), which included the distribution of food, clothing and educational materials, noting that the chapter intended to scale up such initiatives in the coming year.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to outstanding members and distinguished non-members in recognition of their contributions to humanitarian service.
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