Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Venezuela 1-0 in their quarter-final encounter in Morocco.
Gatekeepers News reports that Captain Azeezat Oduntan scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the 89th minute to secure Nigeria’s place in the last four.
The closely contested match saw the Flamingos dominate much of the attacking play but struggle to break down Venezuela’s defence, with goalkeeper Valeria Rebanales making several saves to keep her team in contention.
Nigeria created several scoring opportunities in the first half, with Tosin Rafiu, Mary Dunstan and Oluebube Umejiaku among those who threatened the Venezuelan goal.
However, the deadlock remained unbroken as both sides went into the break without a goal.
The Flamingos continued to press after the restart, searching for a breakthrough against their opponents, who remained organised defensively.
Nigeria eventually got their opportunity in the closing stages when Oluebube Umejiaku won a penalty in the 88th minute after being fouled inside the box.
Following a review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the referee upheld the penalty decision, allowing Oduntan to step forward and convert from the spot a minute later.
The Nigerian side held on to their advantage during eight minutes of added time to seal qualification for the semi-finals.
The victory marks another step in Nigeria’s campaign for a maiden FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.
The Flamingos will now face Brazil in the semi-finals on Wednesday, November 4, after the South American side defeated China 2-1 in their quarter-final fixture.
Nigeria had earlier recovered from a 2-1 opening defeat to Poland, recording victories over Puerto Rico, defending champions North Korea and Mexico to reach the quarter-finals.
