Captain Azeezat Oduntan converted a penalty in the 89th minute to give Nigeria a 1-0 win over Venezuela and a place in the semi-finals of the Women’s U17 World Cup, where the Flamingos will face Brazil.
It took until the 89th minute and a penalty for the Flamingos to force the breakthrough. In the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s U17 World Cup in Morocco, against Venezuela, the Nigerian national team won 1-0 thanks to captain Azeezat Oduntan, who converted the spot kick awarded after a foul on Oluebube Umejiaku in the box, Foot Africa reports.
This win, snatched at the death, propels Nigeria into the last four of the competition for the second time in their history after 2022. It also extends a run of wins that began after an opening defeat.
Valeria delays the inevitable
The Venezuelan goalkeeper Valeria stood out by keeping out several Nigerian chances, according to Newslegend. The penalty awarded for the foul on Umejiaku in the box finally broke the deadlock.
Oduntan, a forward and the team captain, converted that penalty in the 89th minute, according to Foot Africa.
Four wins, a record
This quarter-final caps a run of four consecutive wins for Nigeria, after the opening defeat to Poland (2-1). The Flamingos then beat Puerto Rico (2-0), North Korea (3-1), Mexico (2-1) and finally Venezuela (1-0), according to Foot Africa.
Those four wins set a new national record for victories in a single edition of the Women’s U17 World Cup, the outlet notes. The national team also reach the last four for the second time in their history, after 2022 and a bronze medal.
According to Newspot Nigeria, Nigeria have scored 9 goals and conceded 4 in the tournament, with two clean sheets along the way.
Brazil, a prolific opponent
In the semi-finals, the Flamingos will face Brazil on Wednesday 4 November at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Foot Africa reports. The Brazilian side boast a strong attacking record: again according to Newspot Nigeria, they have scored 17 goals and conceded 6, including a 6-2 win over Canada and a 3-3 draw with Ghana.