The Japan U‑17 women’s national team were beaten 2‑1 by Nigeria in the final of the 2026 FIFA U‑17 Women’s World Cup, which was played in Morocco. Japan’s coach, Sadayoshi Shirai, praised the Nigerian Flamingos after the match.
Nigeria secured the title with goals from Oluebube Umejiaku and Awawu Bashiru, while Japan’s Fuki Ito found the net. Shirai said the Flamingos’ speed and physical strength created major problems for his side, especially when they broke through Japan’s defence.
“First of all, I have to say that Nigeria were a very strong team. We understood their strengths, but there were moments when they managed to get in behind our defence. Even so, I think our players fought incredibly hard until the very end, doing everything they could to cope with Nigeria’s speed and physical power. I also believe that if we had managed to score earlier, we might have had a better chance of winning the match. I want them [Japan’s players] to be proud of themselves. The way they fought until the very end of this World Cup will have inspired many people, and I hope they can take confidence from that,” Shirai said.
Japan reached the final after defeating DPR Korea in the semi‑finals, while Nigeria booked their place in the title decider with a victory over Brazil.
The Flamingos’ triumph marks a historic achievement for Nigerian women’s football, as they lifted the U‑17 Women’s World Cup trophy for the first time.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
