Joel Ajayi
Nigeria’s Flamingos will face Brazil in a high-stakes semi-final clash at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Venezuela in their quarter-final encounter on Sunday night.
Azeezatt Oduntan scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the 89th minute to send Nigeria into the last four and keep their hopes of reaching the final alive.
The quarter-final was closely contested, with Nigeria creating several scoring opportunities but struggling to beat Venezuela goalkeeper Valeria Rebanales, who produced impressive saves to keep her team in the game.
The Flamingos enjoyed much of the attacking play, particularly in the first half, but could not find the breakthrough.
Midfielder Favour Nkwocha was cautioned as Nigeria continued to press for a goal, while head coach Hakeem Busari introduced Precious Oscar for Oluwakemi Adegbuyi in an effort to strengthen the team’s attacking options.
The decisive moment came in the 88th minute when the referee awarded Nigeria a penalty. Following a VAR review, the decision was upheld, allowing Oduntan to step forward and convert from the spot a minute later.
Nigeria’s top scorer, Oluebube Umejiaku, won the penalty that eventually secured the victory.
The win sets up a challenging semi-final encounter against Brazil, who booked their place in the last four with a 2-1 victory over China in their quarter-final match.
With a place in the final at stake, the Flamingos will now be looking to overcome the South Americans and move a step closer to winning the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
