Nigeria's Flamingos booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup after edging Venezuela 1-0 in a tense quarter-final encounter in Morocco, reports Nigeriasoccernet.com.

Captain Azeezat Oduntan delivered the decisive moment, converting an 89th-minute penalty to send the Nigerian youngsters into the last four after a closely fought contest.

The Flamingos started with attacking intent and created several opportunities through Tosin Rafiu, Mary Dunstan and Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, while leading scorer Oluebube Umejiaku also threatened the Venezuelan defence.

However, Venezuela goalkeeper and captain Valeria Rebanales stood firm, making important interventions to keep Nigeria at bay as the first half ended without a goal.

Venezuela also had moments of attacking promise, with Ariana Ojeda and Migleydys Bolsegui attempting to trouble the Nigerian defence.

Nigeria's Favour Nkwocha received the only yellow card of the first half in the 24th minute as both teams battled for control.

The Flamingos continued to push forward after the restart, searching for the goal that would settle the contest and spare them the possibility of extra time.

Their persistence finally paid off in the closing stages when Umejiaku was brought down inside the Venezuelan penalty area, prompting the referee to award a spot-kick.

Oduntan stepped up and kept her composure to convert in the 89th minute, sparking celebrations among the Nigerian players and supporters.

The victory sends Nigeria into the semi-finals, where they will face Brazil for a place in the final.

Brazil secured their passage to the last four with a 2-1 win over China in their own quarter-final fixture.

The Flamingos will now look to carry their momentum into Wednesday's semi-final as they continue their pursuit of a first-ever FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup title.