Nigeria’s Flamingos are one victory away from reaching the final of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, but must overcome Brazil in Wednesday’s semi-final.

Hakeem Busari’s side have recovered from a difficult start to the tournament and will meet a Brazilian team that has also shown quality and resilience on the road to the last four.

Nigeria opened their campaign with a 2-1 defeat by Poland, leaving them with little margin for error in their remaining group matches. They responded with a 2-0 win against Puerto Rico before producing their most significant performance of the group stage against defending champions North Korea.

The Flamingos defeated North Korea 3-1 in a display that combined discipline, confidence and attacking quality. The result confirmed their place in the Round of 16 and strengthened the players’ belief ahead of the knockout phase.

They then beat Mexico 2-1 before facing Venezuela in the quarter-finals. Nigeria were made to work for their progress, with chances missed at both ends and extra time appearing increasingly likely.

However, Azeezat Oduntan converted a penalty in the 89th minute to secure a 1-0 victory and send Nigeria into the semi-finals.

Brazil’s Greise Kelly will be one of the players Nigeria must watch closely. She has been among the tournament’s leading performers, scoring three goals and supplying five assists in Morocco.

Nigeria will once again rely heavily on goalkeeper Jane Ijirigho, whose important saves and interventions have helped the team negotiate difficult moments during the knockout rounds.

Speaking to FIFA.com, Busari said reaching the semi-finals was a dream come true and an opportunity for his team to make Nigeria proud.

“Reaching the semi-finals is a dream come true for me and a great achievement. I’m looking forward to it because I want to make my country proud. We want to give our best in the next match and show everyone what we can do.”

Brazil are expected to provide a stern test, particularly because of their attacking strength and experience at this stage of the competition. But Nigeria have earned their semi-final place with four successive victories, while their performances have improved throughout the tournament.

The Flamingos now have the chance to make history by reaching the final, although they will need to produce another authoritative performance from the opening whistle.

The semi-final will be played on Wednesday, 4 November, at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, Pitch 3, in Rabat, Morocco. Kick-off is scheduled for 6pm Morocco time, which is 7pm in Nigeria.