Nigeria’s Flamingos have booked their place in the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after edging Venezuela 1-0 in a tense quarter-final on Sunday night, with Azeezat Oduntan converting a late penalty in the 89th minute.
The closely contested encounter saw Nigeria create several scoring opportunities but struggle to find a way past Venezuela goalkeeper Valeria Rebanales, who produced a series of saves to keep her side in the game.
The Flamingos enjoyed much of the attacking play in the first half, but Rebanales stood firm as Nigeria pushed for an opener. Midfielder Favour Nkwocha was booked as the contest grew increasingly tense.
Head coach Hakeem Busari made his first substitution by bringing on Precious Oscar for Oluwakemi Adegbuyi as Nigeria searched for a breakthrough.
The deadlock remained unbroken until the 88th minute, when the referee awarded Nigeria a penalty before being called to the pitchside monitor to review the decision.
After consulting the video assistant referee (VAR), the referee upheld the penalty. Oduntan stepped up and converted from the spot in the 89th minute to give Nigeria the decisive goal.
Top scorer Oluebube Umejiaku won the penalty, creating the opportunity for Oduntan to settle the contest.
The victory sends the Flamingos into the semi-finals, where they will face Brazil, who advanced with a 2-1 win over China in their quarter-final match.
Head of Sports at BusinessDay Media, a seasoned Digital Content Producer, and FIFA/CAF Accredited Journalist with over a decade of sports reporting.Has a deep understanding of the Nigerian and global sports landscape and skills in delivering comprehensive and insightful sports content.
