Flamingos of Nigeria To Face Brazil in U-17 World Cup Semi-Finals

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have secured a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Venezuela on Sunday.

Azeezat Oduntan emerged as Nigeria’s match-winner, converting a late penalty in the 89th minute to seal the quarter-final victory and send the West African side into the last four.

The encounter was a closely contested affair, with Nigeria dominating periods of the game as they searched for the breakthrough. Kanyinsola Yusuf, Mary Dunstan, Tosin Rafiu and Oluebube Umejiaku all had opportunities to put the Flamingos ahead but struggled to find the back of the net.

Venezuela also threatened, particularly towards the closing stages, as Astrid Granadillo and Abril Alejo attempted to rescue their team. However, Nigeria's defence remained resolute, holding on to their slender advantage despite eight minutes of added time.

The victory marks another impressive performance from the Flamingos, who have bounced back strongly from their 2-1 opening-day defeat to Poland.

Nigeria subsequently recorded victories over Puerto Rico (2-0), defending champions North Korea (3-1) and Mexico (2-1) before overcoming Venezuela to reach the semi-finals.

The Flamingos will now turn their attention to a challenging encounter against Brazil on Wednesday, November 4, at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.

Brazil booked their semi-final place after coming from behind to defeat China 2-1 in their quarter-final clash.

With a place in the final at stake, Nigeria will be hoping to maintain their impressive momentum and continue their quest for the 2026 U-17 Women’s World Cup title.