Nigeria, Nov. 2 -- Nigeria's Flamingos have qualified for 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 on Sunday.

Captain Azeezat Oduntan scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the 89th minute to send the Nigerian youngsters into the last four for only the second time in their history.

The breakthrough came after Oluebube Umejiaku was fouled inside the penalty area, prompting the referee to award Nigeria a spot kick. Oduntan stepped forward and converted to give the Flamingos a dramatic late lead.

The victory marks Nigeria's return to the semi-finals for the first time since their historic third-place finish at the 2022 edition in India.

The...