Nigeria’s defenders remained resolute, protecting their slender advantage through eight minutes of added time to secure qualification for the semi-finals
By Njoku Vincent
Nigeria’s Flamingos have secured a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after recording a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Venezuela in their quarter-final encounter on Sunday.
Azeezat Oduntan emerged as Nigeria’s heroine, converting a decisive penalty in the 89th minute to seal the victory and send the Nigerian team into the last four of the competition.
The Flamingos dominated much of the encounter and created several scoring opportunities through Kanyinsola Yusuf, Mary Dunstan, Tosin Rafiu and Oluebube Umejiaku but struggled to find the breakthrough.
Venezuela also threatened on a few occasions, particularly towards the closing stages, with Astrid Granadillo and Abril Alejo pushing for an equaliser.
However, Nigeria’s defenders remained resolute, protecting their slender advantage through eight minutes of added time to secure qualification for the semi-finals.
The victory further underlines the Flamingos’ impressive recovery after losing 2-1 to Poland in their opening group match.
The Nigerian youngsters bounced back with victories over Puerto Rico (2-0), defending champions North Korea (3-1) and Mexico (2-1) before overcoming Venezuela in the quarter-finals.
The Flamingos will now face Brazil in the semi-finals on Wednesday, November 4, at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
Brazil booked their place in the last four following a 2-1 comeback victory over China in their quarter-final fixture.
Nigeria will be hoping to overcome the South Americans and advance to the final as they continue their quest for a historic triumph at the tournament.