FLAMENGO BEATS PORTUGUESE AND CLASSIFIES FOR THE SEMIFINAL OF THE RIO U-20 COPA

Nigerian striker Elija Shola renewed his residence visa, guaranteeing his stay in Brazil for another five years. The renewal of the permission was requested by Flamengo to the Federal Government. Furthermore, the player signed a new contract with the club, which is now valid until the end of 2027.

Although Shola has not yet debuted for Flamengo's professional team, he was listed for the classic against Flamengo. Botafogo, which ended with a 4-1 defeat at the Nilton Santos stadium. The striker was one of the highlights of Flamengo's under-20 team, which won the Libertadores and Intercontinental in the category.

Last month, Flamengo reached an agreement with Remo Stars, Shola's former club , purchasing 70% of the athlete's economic rights for 450 thousand dollars. The 19-year-old Nigerian has been on loan at Flamengo since April 2023. His last residence visa was valid for six months and expired in September 2024.

Shola was first scouted during the Viareggio Cup 2022, traditional grassroots tournament held in the Tuscany region, in Italy. He stood out as one of the main figures of his team, helping them reach the final of the tournament. Following this observation, Flamengo sent a scout to Nigeria to evaluate him again, confirming his signing shortly afterwards.

After beating Corinthians 5-0 in the last round of the qualifying round, Flamengo already knows the next opponent they will face in the quarter-finals of the under-17 Brasileirão: Fluminense. Last Monday (2), the CBF released the days and times of the classic, which will be worth a place in the semi-finals.CHECK THE DATES AND TIMES

Flamengo x Fluminense – 19th of September, Gávea, 3pm

Fluminense x Flamengo – September 26th, Vale das Laranjeiras, Duque de Caxias, 3pm

Both games will be broadcast on the SporTV channel. On September 19th, Mais Queridowill play at Gávea, at 3pm, to try to open up an advantage. The return match will be on September 26th, led by Fluminense, in Duque de Caxias. The winner of the match will face Cruzeiro or Santos in the semi-final.

The first phase of the Brasileirão under-17 had two groups of 10 teams. Mais Querido finished in third place in A, with 15 chicks. In total, there were nine games, with five wins and four losses. Furthermore, Flamengo scored 19 goals and conceded 12, with a 55% success rate.

Thus, if there is no winner in the sum of the scores, the classification of the teams will be defined in penalties. The criteria will also apply to the semi-finals. The final will be played in a single game. In addition to Fla x Flu and Cruzeiro x Santos, the quarter-finals will also play: Botafogo x Cuiabá and Palmeiras x Corinthians.

The possible signing of Andrew Pereira is part of Flamengoto seek young promises on the international market to reinforce its youth categories. The club has increasingly invested in training new talents, with the expectation that these players could, in the future, join the professional squad or yield good results in possible negotiations.

Flamengo's interest in Andrew Pereira also aligns with the club's policy of diversifying the nationalities of its base players, expanding the range of South American talents who can bring different characteristics and playing styles to the team. The choice of a Venezuelan player, playing in Argentina, highlights DSFLA's wide observation network and ability to identify young people with potential in markets that are often little explored by other major Brazilian clubs.

Although there is no formal proposal yet, Flamengo has already started to analyze the necessary conditions for the deal to come to fruition. This includes a financial assessment, in addition to understanding Newell's Old Boys' expectations regarding a possible negotiation. The Argentine club, which traditionally trains and sells young talents to the international market, may see Andrew Pereira as an opportunity to make a good deal.

The arrival of Andrew Pereira at Flamengo would, without a doubt, be an addition interesting for the red and black base, which already has other promising young people in its squad. The club's objective is that, with time and adequate development, Andrew can become an option for the main team, following the path of other athletes who started in the youth categories and are now highlights in Brazilian and international football.