Nigeria’s Flamingos Advance to U-17 World Cup Semifinals After Narrow Win Over Venezuela

Nigeria’s Flamingos have advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Venezuela 1-0 in their quarter-final match on Sunday.

Azeezat Oduntan scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot in the 89th minute, ensuring victory for the Nigerian team. Throughout the match, players like Kanyinsola Yusuf, Mary Dunstan, Tosin Rafiu, and Oluebube Umejiaku made several attempts to score.

Venezuela also had chances to equalize, especially in the final moments, but Nigeria’s defense held strong against efforts from Astrid Granadillo and Abril Alejo. The match concluded after eight minutes of added time, with Nigeria successfully protecting their slim lead.

This win marks a significant turnaround for the Flamingos, who lost their opening match 2-1 to Poland. They bounced back by defeating Puerto Rico 2-0, defending champions North Korea 3-1, and Mexico 2-1 to reach the quarter-finals.

The Flamingos will face Brazil in the semifinals on Wednesday, November 4, at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat. Brazil secured their spot in the last four with a 2-1 comeback win over China in their quarter-final match.