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According to a report by Flashscore on Sunday, November 1, 2026, Nigeria's U-17 women's national team, the Flamingos, took a crucial 1-0 lead against Venezuela in the quarter-final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco.
The decisive moment arrived in the 89th minute when Nigeria were awarded a penalty, giving the young Nigerian side an opportunity to break the deadlock after a fiercely contested encounter.
Captain Azeezat Oduntan stepped up to take the spot-kick and demonstrated great composure to send the ball into the back of the net. Her successful penalty sparked celebrations among the Nigerian players as the Flamingos moved ahead at a critical stage of the match.
The goal was particularly important because both teams were competing for a place in the semi-finals, with Nigeria hoping to reach the last four of the tournament for the second time in their history.
The Flamingos had already demonstrated their quality during the competition, recovering from an opening 2-1 defeat to Poland to record victories over Puerto Rico and defending champions North Korea. They subsequently defeated Mexico 2-1 in the Round of 16 to secure their quarter-final ticket.
Venezuela, however, entered the encounter with confidence after producing an impressive 1-0 victory over Germany in the previous round.
Oduntan's late intervention therefore represented a potentially decisive moment in a difficult contest. With Nigeria leading 1-0 in the 89th minute, the young players needed to remain focused, defend their advantage and avoid conceding an equaliser.
The Nigerian supporters were now waiting for the final whistle, hoping to celebrate another important achievement for the country's women's football.