Japan U-17 women’s national team head coach, Sadayoshi Shirai, has praised Nigeria’s Flamingos following his side’s 2-1 defeat in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Shirai admitted that Nigeria’s pace and physical strength caused significant problems for his players, particularly when the Flamingos found spaces behind their defence.

Nigeria secured the historic victory through goals from Oluebube Umejiaku and Awawu Bashiru, while Fuki Ito scored Japan’s only goal.

Speaking after the encounter, Shirai acknowledged the strength of the Nigerian team but insisted that his players gave everything in their efforts to win the title.

“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 an impressive victory over Brazil.

However, the Flamingos proved too strong for the Japanese side in the final, securing a 2-1 win to claim Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.

The triumph also made Nigeria the first African nation to win the competition, marking a historic milestone for the country and the continent.