The National Sports Commission has assured Nigeria’s Flamingos of the country’s full support following their qualification for the semi-final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The assurance came after the Nigerian team defeated Venezuela 1-0 in their quarter-final encounter on Sunday, securing a place in the last four of the competition.
Reacting to the victory, the NSC said in a statement, “Captain Azeezat Oduntan converted an 89th-minute penalty to secure the decisive goal after Oluebube Umejiaku was brought down inside the penalty area. The victory marks Nigeria’s fourth win in the competition, setting a new national record for the most victories in a single edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The Flamingos will now face Brazil in Wednesday’s semi-final. Congratulations to the players and technical crew. Nigeria stands behind you.”
The achievement marks the second time the Flamingos have reached the semi-final stage of the U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Their first appearance in the last four came in 2022 in India, where they finished third after defeating Germany on penalties.
Nigeria’s team remains the only African side in the competition following Ghana’s 1-0 defeat to Japan in their quarter-final match on Sunday.
The Flamingos will now face Brazil in Wednesday’s semi-final as they seek to secure a place in the final and improve on their previous best performance at the tournament.
