Japan coach salutes Flamingos

Flamingos after World Cup triumph against Japan

Japan head coach Sadayoshi Shirai has hailed Nigeria’s Flamingos after admitting his side struggled to cope with the champions’ pace and physicality in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Rabat, Morocco.

The Flamingos secured a historic 2-1 victory over Japan on Saturday to become the first African nation to win the competition, with goals from Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku proving decisive.

Japan mounted a late fightback through Fuki Ito, who reduced the deficit in the 80th minute, but Nigeria held on to claim their maiden world title.

Reflecting on the defeat, Shirai acknowledged the quality of the Nigerian side, saying his players had struggled to contain their opponents despite being aware of their strengths before the encounter.

“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,” he told FIFA.

“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.”

The Japanese coach also felt an earlier goal could have changed the outcome, as his side struggled to recover from conceding twice before the hour mark.

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

Despite the disappointment of losing the final, Shirai urged his players to take pride in their efforts throughout the tournament, having reached their first final since 2016.

“I want them 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,” he said.

Nigeria’s triumph completed a remarkable turnaround after their opening 2-1 defeat to Poland, with Hakeem Busari’s side winning their subsequent six matches to lift the trophy.