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

Japan's U-17 women's national soccer team coach, Sadayoshi Shirai, has spoken about his team's loss to Nigeria in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco. Shirai pointed out that if Japan had scored earlier in the match, they might have had a better chance of winning. Nigeria emerged victorious as the first African country to clinch the title, with goals from Oluebube Umejiaku and Awawu Bashiru.

Fuki Ito scored the lone goal for Japan in a late effort. In his post-match interview, Shirai acknowledged Nigeria's strengths, particularly their speed and physical power, which posed challenges for his players. He praised his team's efforts, stating they fought "incredibly hard until the very end" and overcame Nigeria's speed and physical power.

Shirai expressed hope that Japan's players would be proud of their performance, which he hoped would inspire many. Japan reached the final after defeating North Korea in the semi-finals, while Nigeria secured their place with a win over Brazil. The Flamingos went on to win the U-17 Women's World Cup.