Nigeria’s Flamingos will on Sunday chase a place in the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup when they take on Venezuela in the quarter-finals in Morocco. A win would send the West Africans into the last four for the first time since 2022.
The match is scheduled for 7pm Nigerian time (6pm local) at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Salé. The winner will face China PR or Brazil in the semi-finals.
Nigeria, coached by Akeem Busari, lost their opening Group B game 2-1 to Poland, then beat Puerto Rico 2-0. They topped off the group stage with a 3-1 win over defending champions DPR Korea, a result that ended the Asians’ long unbeaten run in regulation time.
In the round of 16, the Flamingos edged Mexico 2-1, with Oluebube Umejiaku and Mary Dunstan on target before Emily Delgado pulled one back for Mexico late on.
Venezuela finished third in Group D after defeats to France and Japan and a 3-2 win over Zambia. They then knocked out Germany 1-0 in the last 16, courtesy of a fifth-minute goal from Diana Bravo.
Busari has warned that the knockout stage demands tactical discipline. “When you come into this kind of competition, and you get to the knockout stages, it’s more tactical,” he said.
The coach also insisted his side respect every opponent. “What I normally say is that every team in the competition is a contender, everyone could be a champion,” he added.
It is the first time the two countries will meet at the U-17 Women’s World Cup. Nigeria’s squad features Umejiaku, Dunstan, Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, Kanyinsola Yusuf and goalkeeper Jane Ijirigho, while Venezuela will lean on Bravo, Ariana Ojeda and Orliany Durán.
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