The Flamingos of Nigeria have qualified for the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after securing a dramatic 1-0 win over Venezuela in their quarter-final clash in Salé, Morocco.
Captain Azeezat Oduntan scored the decisive goal in the 89th minute to send Nigeria into the last four, where they will face Brazil for a place in the final.
The encounter, played at the Mohammed VI Football Academy, saw the Flamingos dominate possession and create several scoring opportunities but struggle to break down Venezuela’s organised defence.
Nigeria started brightly, with Tosin Rafiu, Mary Dunstan and Oluebube Umejiaku leading the attacking charge.
Rafiu came close to opening the scoring in the 19th minute, but Venezuelan goalkeeper Valeria Rebanales produced a save to deny her powerful effort.
Venezuela offered little attacking threat throughout the first half, relying mainly on counter-attacks as Nigeria continued to search for a breakthrough.
Despite their dominance, the Flamingos went into the break without a goal. They maintained their attacking pressure after the restart but struggled to break down Venezuela’s defence.
With the match approaching its final minutes and a penalty shootout looming, Oduntan broke the deadlock in the 89th minute, finishing from inside the box to seal Nigeria’s place in the semi-finals.
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