Nigeria’s Flamingos have secured a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Venezuela 1-0 in Sale, Morocco, on Sunday.
Azeezat Oduntan scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot late in the game to seal victory for the team coached by Akeem Busari.
The qualification marks only the second time Nigeria have reached the semi-finals of the competition. Their previous appearance at this stage came in 2022, when they went on to win the bronze medal.
Venezuela, who had stunned Germany in the second round, frustrated Nigeria for most of the encounter, limiting the Flamingos’ attacking threat throughout the match.
Nigeria eventually found a breakthrough in the 89th minute after Oluebube Umejiaku was brought down inside Venezuela’s penalty area by Migleydys Bolsegui, prompting the referee to award a spot-kick.
Captain Oduntan stepped up and calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to secure Nigeria’s place in the last four.
The Flamingos will face Brazil in Wednesday’s semi-final after the South American side also needed a late goal to overcome China.
The winners will advance to the final, scheduled for next Saturday, where they will meet either Japan or North Korea.