The Flamingos play Venezuela in a FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup quarter-final on Sunday 1 November, with kick-off at 7pm Nigerian time at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Salé, Morocco. The winner reaches the semi-finals, a stage Nigeria have made only once, in 2022.
| Fixture | Details |
|---|---|
| Match | Nigeria v Venezuela, quarter-final |
| Date and time | Sunday 1 November 2026, 7pm WAT |
| Venue | Mohammed VI Football Academy, Pitch 4, Salé |
| Nigeria so far | Lost 2-1 to Poland, beat Puerto Rico 2-0, beat DPR Korea 3-1, beat Mexico 2-1 |
| Venezuela so far | Beat Germany 1-0 in the round of 16 |
| Prize | A place in the semi-finals |
Why Venezuela deserve respect
Germany lost. The reigning European champions went out 1-0 in the last 16, and that is the sort of result that turns a quiet side into a dangerous one.
They know this stage too. Venezuela finished fourth in 2014 and again in 2016. The record books list them as the only South American team to have reached a U-17 women's World Cup semi-final. Nigeria lost a group game to Poland on opening day, so neither side has had an easy run to Salé.
No earlier meeting between the two countries at this level turned up in the previews we read. There is no head-to-head record to lean on.
New ground for both camps.
What Akeem Busari is saying
The Nigeria head coach, appointed by the NFF in April, has spent the week talking down the idea of favourites. He told FIFA: “Venezuela won their game, so they are a good side. But Nigeria are too, so on the day it'll be decided over 90 minutes, and we'll all give our best.”
His goalkeeper has given him plenty to work with. Jane Bubemi Ijirigho of Nasarawa Amazons, who stands 1.92 metres tall, made several saves against Mexico on Thursday, among them an early stop from the Mexican captain Citlalli Reyes and a deflection of a long-range shot onto the crossbar that kept the lead intact. “We came out with a great team spirit, and we know we have the quality,” she said afterwards.
Oluebube Umejiaku and Mary Dunstan scored in the 40th and 71st minutes. Emily Delgado pulled one back deep into stoppage time.
Busari will want that late scare tidied up. Venezuela can win by the narrowest of margins.
What it means for Nigerian football
Nigeria have been here before. The Flamingos went out at the quarter-final stage in 2010, 2012, 2014 and again in 2024, when the United States beat them 2-0 in the Dominican Republic. Only in 2022 did they get through. Third place.
The benchmark is clear.
A win on Sunday would give the NFF a second semi-final in four editions, and it would come with a squad that began the competition with a defeat to Poland and then won three games in a row against Puerto Rico, DPR Korea and Mexico. That matters.
The Flamingos are the next link in the pipeline towards the Super Falcons.
For more on how this squad got to Morocco, read our report on the Flamingos arriving in Morocco, and follow all the latest in Nigeria football news.
This article was most recently revised and updated 22 seconds ago
