Nigeria’s Flamingos have secured a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Venezuela 1-0 in a closely contested quarter-final match on Sunday night.

According to a report by Vanguard on Sunday, November 1, 2026, Azeezat Oduntan scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the 89th minute to send Nigeria through to the last four.

Both teams battled throughout the encounter, but neither managed to find the back of the net during regular play. Nigeria, however, showed greater attacking intent in the first half and consistently threatened Venezuela’s defence.

Venezuela goalkeeper Valeria Rebanales played a crucial role in keeping her team in the contest, producing several important saves to deny the Flamingos and ensure the first half ended goalless.

Nigeria continued searching for a breakthrough after the restart, maintaining pressure on their opponents. Midfielder Favor Nkwocha received a yellow card as the intensity of the contest increased.

Head coach Hakeem Busari subsequently made a substitution, introducing Precious Oscar in place of Oluwakemi Adegbuyi in an effort to strengthen Nigeria’s attacking options.

The decisive moment arrived in the closing stages when the referee awarded Nigeria a penalty in the 88th minute. The decision was reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), with the referee eventually confirming the spot-kick after consulting the pitch-side monitor.

Oluebube Umejiaku, Nigeria’s leading scorer, played an important role in the decisive moment by winning the penalty. Oduntan then stepped up and calmly converted the opportunity in the 89th minute, giving Nigeria a crucial 1-0 lead.

The victory sends the Flamingos into the semi-finals, where they will face Brazil. The South American side booked its place in the last four after recording a 2-1 victory over China in its quarter-final encounter.

Nigeria will now look to maintain its impressive run as the team pursues a place in the final of the tournament.