Nigeria’s Flamingos will face Venezuela in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on Sunday, with a place in the last four at stake at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Sale.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7pm local time (WAT), as Nigeria attempt to continue their impressive run at a tournament that has already produced several surprises.
The Flamingos began Group B with a 2-1 defeat by Poland but responded with a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico. They then delivered one of the competition’s biggest shocks by beating two-time defending champions DPR Korea 3-1.
Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, Oluebube Umejiaku and Kanyinsola Yusuf scored as Nigeria ended DPR Korea’s long unbeaten run in regulation time at the tournament.
Nigeria followed that result by overcoming Mexico 2-1 in the last 16. Umejiaku opened the scoring in the 40th minute after taking advantage of a defensive mistake, before Mary Dunstan - also referred to as Dustan - added a second in the 71st minute.
Emily Delgado scored in stoppage time for Mexico, but Nigeria held on to reach the quarter-finals.
The match will be Nigeria’s fifth appearance in the last eight of the competition and their first since 2024. Their best result remains third place at the 2022 tournament in India, where they beat the United States on penalties in the quarter-finals before securing the bronze medal.
Nigeria have been regulars in the knockout stages since the early editions of the competition, missing only the 2018 finals.
Umejiaku has been one of the team’s leading performers, scoring against Poland, DPR Korea and Mexico. She was named Player of the Match after the victory over Mexico and said she was delighted to receive the award, describing it as recognition of something she had worked towards for a long time.
Dunstan has also made a significant contribution, including the decisive second goal against Mexico. Yusuf and goalkeeper Jane Ijirigho have been among the other standout players, while coach Akeem (Hakeem) Busari’s team have grown in confidence and tactical discipline since their opening defeat.
Venezuela reached the quarter-finals after finishing third in Group D. Their only group victory was a 3-2 win over Zambia, while they lost to France and Japan before progressing as one of the best third-placed teams.
They then caused another major upset by defeating previously unbeaten Germany 1-0 in the last 16. Diana Bravo scored in the fifth minute, and Venezuela defended resolutely to complete the victory.
The tournament marks Venezuela’s return to the finals after a decade-long absence. They finished fourth in 2014 and 2016, reaching the semi-finals on both occasions and establishing themselves as one of South America’s more consistent U-17 teams.
A victory over Nigeria would give Venezuela a third successive semi-final appearance across their participations.
There is no previous head-to-head record between the nations at U-17 level in major competitions. Nigeria have won their past three matches since the loss to Poland, while Venezuela will draw confidence from eliminating Germany.
Both teams are seeking a semi-final place, with Nigeria aiming to improve on their 2022 bronze medal and Venezuela hoping to revive their previous semi-final success.