The Nigeria Football Federation has appointed Chris Danjuma as Head Coach of the U20 Women National Team, Falconets, following a screening and interview process by the NFF Technical Committee.

According to the NFF, the screening process began with a one-week public notice which requested for applications from suitably qualified persons, after which short-listed candidates were contacted and interviewed by a panel of the Technical Committee.

Danjuma, who has taken temporary charge of the Senior Women National Team, Super Falcons, in the past, led the Falconets to the quarter-finals of last year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals in Costa Rica.

He will be assisted by former U20 and U17 girls’ assistant coach Mansur Abdullahi, and former Super Falcons’ midfielder Effioanwan Ekpo, the NFF said on Wednesday.

Ekpo, who represented Nigeria for 10 years between 2000 and 2010, featured at the 2003 and 2007 FIFA World Cup finals in USA and China respectively, at the 2004 and 2008 Women Olympic Football Tournaments in Athens and Beijing respectively, and was a Women Africa Cup of Nations gold medallist on three occasions. She also featured at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algiers.

Yahaya Audu, will be the goalkeeper trainer of the team.

The Falconets will commence their 2024 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign with a second round, first leg encounter against Mauritius in Saint Pierre on Sunday, 8th October, with the return leg scheduled for the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Saturday, 14th October 2023.