Japan coach explains defeat as Flamingos claim U-17 World Cup title

The head coach of the Japan U-17 women’s national team, Sadayoshi Shirai, has revealed why his side suffered a 2-1 defeat against Nigeria’s Flamingos in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The encounter in Morocco saw Nigeria become the first African nation to win the global tournament. The Flamingos secured the victory through decisive goals from Oluebube Umejiaku and Awawu Bashiru, before Fuki Ito netted a late consolation goal for the Japanese side.

Addressing journalists in his post-match interview, Shirai admitted that his team struggled to cope with the sheer pace and physical intensity of the newly crowned champions. He stated that capitalising on early chances would have altered the outcome of the game.

“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 praised the resilience of the Japanese girls, stressing that they fought bravely against a formidable opponent.

“I also believe that if we had managed to score earlier, we might have had a better chance of winning the match. 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 added.

Japan reached the final stage of the competition after defeating North Korea in the semi-finals. The Flamingos, on the other hand, booked their spot in the title decider following a hard-fought victory over Brazil.