Nigeria’s Flamingos have advanced to the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after edging Venezuela 1-0 in a tense quarter-final encounter on Sunday, with Azeezatt Oduntan scoring a decisive late penalty.
Key Highlights
- Nigeria’s Flamingos beat Venezuela 1-0 to reach the U-17 Women’s World Cup semi-finals.
- Azeezatt Oduntan scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 89th minute.
- Top scorer Oluebube Umejiaku won the penalty, which was upheld after a VAR review.
- Venezuela goalkeeper Valeria Rebanales made several key saves.
- Nigeria will face Brazil in the semi-finals.
The Nigerian girls secured the victory in the 89th minute after a closely contested encounter in which they dominated much of the attacking play, but struggled to find a way past Venezuela’s impressive goalkeeper, Valeria Rebanales.
The Flamingos created several scoring opportunities in the first half, but Rebanales produced crucial saves to deny Nigeria an early breakthrough.
Despite Nigeria’s persistent pressure, Venezuela remained resilient, while midfielder Favour Nkwocha received a yellow card as the contest intensified.
Head coach Hakeem Busari subsequently introduced Precious Oscar for Oluwakemi Adegbuyi in an attempt to strengthen Nigeria’s attacking threat.
Late VAR-Confirmed Penalty
The decisive moment came late in the match when top scorer Oluebube Umejiaku won a penalty for Nigeria. The referee initially awarded the spot-kick before consulting the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) monitor to review the decision.
Following the review, the penalty was upheld, allowing Oduntan to step forward and calmly convert from the spot in the 89th minute to hand Nigeria the crucial victory.
The late goal proved enough to send the Flamingos into the last four, keeping their hopes of lifting the trophy alive.
Read also:
- Flamingos Beat Mexico to Book Quarter-Final Spot At U-17 World Cup
- Ikpeme Charges Flamingos To Beat Mexico, Reach U-17 World Cup Quarter-Finals
- Flamingos Face North Korea In Crucial U-17 Women’s World Cup Match
Brazil Next
Nigeria will now face Brazil in the semi-finals after the South American side defeated China 2-1 in their own quarter-final fixture.
The upcoming encounter presents another significant test for Busari’s side as they seek to maintain their impressive run and secure a place in the final.
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