Japan’s U-17 women’s national team coach, Sadayoshi Shirai, has explained why his side lost 2-1 to Nigeria in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, admitting that his players failed to take their chances early in the encounter.
The Little Nadeshiko suffered defeat against Nigeria’s Flamingos at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, Pitch 3, in Rabat, Morocco, on Saturday night, as the Nigerian side made history by winning the competition for the first time.
Goals from Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku secured the victory for Nigeria, while Fuki Ito scored a late consolation goal for Japan with 10 minutes remaining.
Japan had started the encounter brightly but struggled to contain Nigeria’s pace, physical strength and attacking threat as the Flamingos gradually took control of the match.
Shirai, who guided his team to the final after defeating North Korea in the semi-finals, acknowledged Nigeria’s strength but praised his players for their determination and fighting spirit despite the defeat.
Speaking after the encounter, the Japanese coach said his players worked hard to cope with Nigeria’s attacking qualities but admitted that their inability to score earlier affected their chances of winning.
“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,” he told FIFA.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Oluebube Umejiaku, who won the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player, has attributed the Flamingos’ historic triumph to composure, self-belief and collective encouragement on the pitch.
Umejiaku, who scored one of Nigeria’s goals in the final, said the team remained calm and encouraged one another rather than putting themselves under unnecessary pressure to score.
“We didn’t have to push for the goals, just to keep ourselves up, and we needed to encourage ourselves on the field of play,” she said during her post-match interview.
The Flamingos reached the final after defeating Brazil in the semi-finals, while Japan secured their place in the title decider with a victory over North Korea.
Nigeria’s triumph marks the first time an African country has won the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, bringing an end to the tournament’s history of European, Asian and North American dominance.
