The Flamingos secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Venezuela in Sunday’s quarter-final clash at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Salé, Morocco, courtesy of an 89th-minute penalty converted by captain Azeezat Oduntan.
The decisive spot-kick was awarded after tournament top scorer Oluebube Umejiaku was brought down inside the box, a decision successfully upheld following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.
Oduntan kept her composure under pressure to fire Nigeria into the last four, matching the nation's historic semifinal appearance and bronze-medal finish from 2022.
Celebrating the milestone, CAF Women’s Football posted on its official X handle:
“The Flamingos are flying into the semis! 🦩🇳🇬 Nigeria edge Venezuela to reach the #U17WWC semi-finals! #AfricanFootball.”
The victory leaves Nigeria as the sole remaining African representative in the tournament following Ghana's 1-0 defeat to Japan in a separate quarter-final fixture.
The Flamingos will now square off against Brazil on Wednesday, November 4, at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat for a coveted spot in the final. Brazil advanced to the semifinals after coming from behind to defeat China 2-1.
Nigeria's resilient run continues after rebounding from an opening 2-1 loss to Poland, stringing together four consecutive victories: a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico, a 3-1 triumph against defending champions North Korea, a 2-1 victory over Mexico, and Sunday's narrow win against Venezuela.
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