Venezuela coach Dayana Frías said his side were punished for a single costly error after losing 1-0 to Nigeria’s Flamingos and exiting the 2026 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
The South American team were largely second best against Nigeria, although their disciplined defensive work kept the contest level for most of the match. The game seemed set to be decided by a penalty shootout before Nigeria were awarded a late penalty after Venezuela defender Migleydys Bolsegui was ruled to have brought down Oluebube Umejiaku.
Azeezat Oduntan converted from the spot, sending the Flamingos into the tournament’s last four and ending Venezuela’s campaign.
Frías said Venezuela had delivered a respectable overall display but could not recover from the decisive moment. “We played well overall, but I believe we made one error and paid the price for it,” he said. “The whole experience has been very rewarding and beautiful.”
He added that he was encouraged by the progress made by his players during the competition and noted that seven members of the squad will still be eligible for next year’s tournament. “I am pleased to see how much they have improved and developed as footballers during the tournament,” Frías said. “We have seven players who can return next year, and I think they are prepared to come back and continue developing.”
