NGA 1-0 VEN: Flamingos Beat Venezuela to Reach Semi-Finals After Oduntan’s Late Penalty

According to a report by Daily Post on Sunday, November 1, 2026, Nigeria’s Flamingos have booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after securing a narrow 1-0 victory over Venezuela in their quarter-final encounter in Morocco.

Captain Azeezat Oduntan scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot to send Akeem Busari’s side into the last four of the competition.

The Nigerian youngsters dominated much of the encounter but found it difficult to break down a determined Venezuelan defence, which remained organised throughout the contest.

The Flamingos created several goalscoring opportunities but struggled to convert their chances, allowing their South American opponents to remain in contention.

Venezuela also attempted to threaten Nigeria but failed to produce enough attacking quality to seriously trouble the Nigerian defence.

As the game progressed, the Flamingos continued searching for a breakthrough, knowing that a victory would take them closer to their ambition of winning the tournament.

With normal time approaching its conclusion, Nigeria finally found the opportunity they needed after Oluebube Umejiaku was fouled inside the penalty area by Venezuela defender Migleydys Bolsegui.

The referee pointed to the spot, handing the Flamingos a golden opportunity to settle the contest. Oduntan stepped forward to take responsibility for the crucial penalty and showed composure under pressure as she calmly sent the ball into the net.

Her late strike proved enough to separate both teams, sparking celebrations among the Nigerian players and members of their technical crew. The victory ended Venezuela’s hopes of progressing to the semi-finals, while Nigeria continued their impressive campaign in Morocco.

The result also represents another important achievement for the Flamingos, who are making their second appearance in the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Nigeria previously reached the last four in 2022 in India, where they eventually secured the bronze medal after defeating Germany 3-2 in the third-place match.

Busari’s team will now turn their attention to Wednesday’s semi-final encounter against Brazil, who also secured qualification for the last four after defeating China 2-1.

The Nigerian youngsters will be hoping to overcome the South Americans and reach the final for the first time in the history of the competition.

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