TODAY’S final of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2010 between Nigeria and host Germany in Bielefeld is  full of intrigue and fascination.

While Nigeria had never before sampled life beyond the quarter-finals of any FIFA Women’s World Cup or Olympic Games, Germany is hoping to add a second youth title - it was also victorious in Thailand in 2004 - to the FIFA Women’s World Cup they lifted for a second successive time in China 2007.

However, Nigerians will like to see a new name inscribed on the trophy, and the impetus for a huge forward push for the African women’s game, will be firmly on the side of the Falconets.

On one side, we have the free-scoring German attack which have ransacked defences to the tune of 18 goals so far in this tournament with its penalty-box princess, Alexandra Popp, accounting for half of those. By contrast, Nigeria has struck only six times in its five matches and is the lowest-scoring finalists this competition has ever known.

However, the west Africans are able to defend their goal with all their might, conceding just four goals in five games and never more than one per game. That includes the full 120 minutes against USA, which was one of the strongest attacking teams on display.

Nigeria is sure to close defensive ranks and look to break out quickly through the speedy Ebere Orji and Glory Iroka, with the aim of enabling Desire Oparanozie to power in on goal.

The sides have met once before at youth level and on that occasion it needed a penalty shootout to separate them. In the 2004 quarter-final, Germany grabbed an 86th-minute equaliser from Anja Mittag to force an extra-time and she also scored the fifth and decisive penalty, with Nigeria missing one.