Nigeria’s Flamingos are targeting a place in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final when they face Brazil in Wednesday’s semi-final in Morocco, head coach Akeem Busari has said after his side’s 1-0 quarter-final victory against Venezuela.
Late penalty sends Nigeria into last four
The Flamingos booked their semi-final spot through a late penalty, with Busari praising his players’ refusal to lose faith during a difficult contest.
“It is a wonderful feeling to be here because it was a huge battle, and the girls truly deserve to fulfil their dream,” Busari said after the match.
Nigeria will now meet Brazil, who narrowly overcame China PR in the other quarter-final. The match will be played at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, with the scheduled kick-off at 18:00.
- Nigeria defeated Venezuela 1-0 in the quarter-finals.
- The decisive goal came from a late penalty.
- Brazil progressed by beating China PR.
- The semi-final is set for Wednesday at the Mohammed VI Football Complex.
“I want to make my country proud,” Busari said ahead of the Brazil encounter.
Belief remained until the decisive moment
Busari said the Nigerian bench remained convinced that an opening would eventually arrive, even as Venezuela made life difficult for his side.
“At any moment, even in a fraction of a second, an error can happen and we can score,” he said. “We managed to win a penalty against the flow of the game, and that normally changes the whole story.”
The coach characterised the quarter-final as a battle between contrasting approaches. Venezuela, who had eliminated Germany in the round of 16, used intense pressure and repeatedly interrupted Nigeria’s passing play.
“It was a very tough match because it was a contest of different styles,” Busari explained. “We want to keep the ball on the floor. They were physical, entered our areas, stopped every pass and tackled hard. That was going to alter the tempo, and we did not want to play at that pace because we are not a big team.”
Flamingos committed to their passing game
Although he acknowledged the natural physical strength within his Nigerian squad, Busari said the Flamingos wanted to remain true to the possession-based style that has brought them this far.
“Nigerians are generally strong, but we want to show what we can do, because our strength at this point is moving the ball more along the ground,” he said.
Busari also felt his team could have settled the Venezuela tie earlier, having failed to take several opportunities across the match.
“We missed a few chances from the first half right through to the closing stages, when we could have done better,” he said.
Recovery after opening-day setback
Nigeria have responded impressively since beginning their World Cup campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Poland. Their route to the semi-finals has included victories over Puerto Rico, North Korea, Mexico and Venezuela.
- Lost 2-1 to Poland in their opening match.
- Beat Puerto Rico 2-0.
- Defeated reigning champions North Korea 3-1.
- Overcame Mexico 2-1 in the round of 16.
- Won 1-0 against Venezuela in the quarter-finals.
The Flamingos’ best previous finish at the competition was third place in 2022, and they now have the opportunity to improve on that achievement in Morocco.
