Flamingos Head coach Akeem Busari has hailed his players’ determination after they defeated Venezuela 1-0 to reach the semifinals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, describing their progression as a dream come true.
Captain Azeezat Oduntan scored the winning goal from the penalty spot in the 89th minute at the Mohammed VI Football Complex on Sunday, sending Nigeria into the last four for the first time since 2022.
Speaking after the quarterfinal victory, Busari admitted that his team made mistakes during the encounter but praised the players for continuing to push until the final whistle.
“We gave everything on the pitch tonight. We wanted to keep the ball and play our game, but we made some mistakes. We kept pushing until the end,” he said.
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The Nigerian coach described reaching the semifinals as a significant milestone, adding that his players are determined to make the country proud in their next outing.
“Reaching the semi-finals is a dream come true for me and a great achievement. I’m looking forward to it because I want to make my country proud. We want to give our best in the next match and show everyone what we can do,” Busari added.
The Flamingos will face Brazil in the semifinals on Wednesday, November 4, at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, with a place in the final at stake as they continue their pursuit of a maiden title.
Meanwhile, Venezuela head coach Dayana Frías admitted that a costly mistake proved decisive in her side’s quarterfinal defeat but expressed satisfaction with her players’ overall performance and development throughout the tournament.
Frías believes her team competed well against Nigeria but paid the price for one crucial error that led to the decisive penalty.
“It was a good performance overall, but I think we made one mistake and paid for it,” she said.
Despite the disappointment of exiting the competition, the Venezuelan coach described the tournament as a valuable experience for her young squad and praised the progress they had made.
“As for the experience, it’s been really beautiful and rewarding. I’m happy to see how much they’ve grown and how they’ve developed as footballers throughout the tournament,” Frías added.
She also revealed that seven members of the squad remain eligible to feature in next year’s competition, expressing confidence that the players would return with more experience and continue their development.
“We also have seven players who are eligible to play again next year, so I think they’re ready to come back and keep growing,” she said.
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