The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has congratulated Nigeria’s Flamingos following their impressive qualification for the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The Nigerian side secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over Venezuela in their quarter-final encounter on Sunday at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Salé, with captain Azeezat Oduntan scoring the decisive goal in the closing minutes of the game.
Oduntan converted an 89th-minute penalty after tournament top scorer Oluebube Umejiaku was brought down inside the penalty area. The referee's decision was subsequently upheld following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.
The late breakthrough sparked celebrations among the Nigerian players as the Flamingos secured their place in the last four, equalling their previous semi-final achievement at the 2022 edition, where they eventually claimed the bronze medal.
Reacting to the victory, CAF Women’s Football took to its official X handle to celebrate Nigeria’s achievement.
“The Flamingos are flying into the semis! 🦩🇳🇬 Nigeria edge Venezuela to reach the #U17WWC semi-finals! #AfricanFootball,” the organisation posted.
Nigeria's progression leaves the Flamingos as the only African team remaining in the competition after Ghana suffered a 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Japan.
The Nigerian youngsters will next face Brazil on Wednesday, November 4, at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, as both sides battle for a place in the final. Brazil secured their semi-final ticket with a 2-1 comeback victory over China.
The Flamingos have demonstrated remarkable resilience throughout the tournament, recovering from a 2-1 opening defeat to Poland to record four successive victories.
Their impressive turnaround included a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico, a 3-1 triumph against defending champions North Korea, a 2-1 victory over Mexico and Sunday's narrow success against Venezuela.
With the semi-final showdown against Brazil approaching, Nigeria will be looking to maintain their winning momentum and move one step closer to securing the country's first-ever title at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
