According to a report by Daily Post on Sunday November 8, 2026, Japan U-17 women's national team coach, Sadayoshi Shirai, has praised his players for their determination and fighting spirit despite their 2-1 defeat to Nigeria in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

The Little Nadeshiko lost to Nigeria at the Mohammed VI Football Complex Pitch 3 in Rabat on Saturday night, as the Flamingos secured their first-ever title in the competition.

Nigeria produced an impressive performance to overcome the Japanese side, with goals from Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku securing the historic victory.

Japan started the encounter brightly but gradually struggled to contain the pace, physical strength and attacking threat of the Nigerian players.

The Flamingos eventually took control of the contest, scoring twice to put themselves in a strong position to lift the trophy.

However, Japan refused to give up and attempted to mount a comeback through Fuki Ito, who scored with 10 minutes remaining.

Despite the late goal, the Japanese team could not find an equaliser, allowing Nigeria to hold on to its advantage and celebrate becoming world champions.

Speaking after the final, Shirai acknowledged the quality of the Nigerian team but expressed satisfaction with the efforts his players made throughout the encounter.

The Japanese coach admitted that his team understood Nigeria's strengths before the match but struggled to prevent the Flamingos from exploiting spaces behind their defence.

"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," Shirai told FIFA.

He also praised his players for their determination to keep competing despite the difficult circumstances they faced against the Nigerian side.

"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 added.

Shirai's comments highlighted the difficulties Japan experienced against Nigeria, particularly in dealing with the Flamingos' physical presence and attacking speed.

The Japanese team had enjoyed an impressive campaign before reaching the final, having defeated DPR Korea in the semi-finals to secure a place in the championship match.

Nigeria also arrived at the final after defeating Brazil, setting up a meeting between two teams that had demonstrated their quality throughout the competition.

However, the Flamingos proved too strong in the decisive encounter, taking their opportunities and holding on to secure the trophy.

The victory marked a historic achievement for Nigeria, who claimed their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup title.

Umejiaku also received individual recognition for her outstanding performances during the tournament after winning the Golden Ball award as the competition's best player.

Meanwhile, Japan were awarded the FIFA Fair Play Trophy, providing some recognition for their campaign despite the disappointment of losing the final.

Although Shirai and his players will be disappointed that they could not finish the tournament with the trophy, the coach made it clear that he was proud of their determination and efforts against Nigeria.