KEY POINTS

• Nigeria’s Flamingos defeated Venezuela 1-0 to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
• Azeezat Oduntan scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 89th minute.
• Nigeria will face Brazil, who defeated China 2-1, in the semi-finals.

MAIN STORY

Nigeria’s Flamingos have reached the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after securing a late 1-0 victory over Venezuela on Sunday night.

Azeezat Oduntan converted a penalty in the 89th minute to send Nigeria into the last four after a tightly contested quarter-final encounter.

The breakthrough came after Oluebube Umejiaku won a penalty in the 88th minute. Following a VAR review, Oduntan stepped forward and converted the spot kick to give Nigeria the decisive lead.

Both teams had defended resolutely throughout the match, while Venezuela’s goalkeeper made several important saves to keep the score level.

THE ISSUES

The victory keeps Nigeria’s campaign alive as the team advances to the final four of the competition. The Flamingos had to wait until the closing stages to break Venezuela’s resistance, with the penalty providing the difference between the sides.

WHAT’S NEXT

Nigeria will face Brazil in the semi-finals after the South American team defeated China 2-1 in their quarter-final match.

The Flamingos will be seeking another victory to secure a place in the tournament’s final.

BOTTOM LINE

A late penalty from Azeezat Oduntan has taken Nigeria into the U-17 Women’s World Cup semi-finals, where Brazil stand between the Flamingos and a place in the final.