Japan's U-17 women's national team 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 the Flamingos' pace and physical strength posed significant challenges for his players, particularly when Nigeria's attackers managed to penetrate their defensive line.
Nigeria clinched the historic title through goals from Oluebube Umejiaku and Awawu Bashiru, while Fuki Ito scored Japan's only goal.
Speaking after the encounter, Shirai acknowledged Nigeria's strength and superiority but insisted that his players gave their best throughout the final.
"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 secured a place in the final after defeating DPR Korea in the semi-finals, while Nigeria booked their ticket to the title decider with a victory over Brazil.
The Flamingos subsequently defeated Japan 2-1 to lift the trophy, marking a historic milestone for Nigerian women's football.
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