Why Japan lost U-17 World Cup final to Nigeria — Coach

Japan coach Sadayoshi Shirai. CREDIT: FIFA

Japan U-17 women’s national team coach, Sadayoshi Shirai, has explained why his side lost 2-1 to Nigeria’s Flamingos in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Shirai said his team could have had a better chance of winning the encounter if they had scored earlier against the Flamingos.

Nigeria became the first African country to win the title thanks to goals from Oluebube Umejiaku and Awawu Bashiru. Fuki Ito scored a late goal for Japan.

Speaking in his post-match interview, as reported by FIFA on Saturday, Shirai acknowledged Nigeria’s strength, particularly their speed and physical power, which caused problems for his players.

“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 North Korea in the semi-finals, while Nigeria booked their place in the title decider with a victory over Brazil.

The Flamingos eventually defeated Japan to claim the U-17 Women’s World Cup title.

Saheed Oyelakin

Saheed is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over two years of experience covering metro, technology, sports, politics, and human-interest stories. He focuses on producing clear, engaging reports across diverse beats. Saheed’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate and balanced journalism.

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