The coach of Japan’s Under-17 women’s national team, Sadayoshi Shirai, haspraised Nigeria’s Flamingos, attributing their 2026 World Cup victory to their superior physical strength and speed against his team.

The Little Nadeshiko lost 2-1 at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco, ensuring that the Flamingos made history by becoming the first African team to win the tournament.

Nigeria won the match with goals from Oluebube Umejiaku and Awawu Bashiru, while Fuki Ito pulled one back for Japan.

Speaking after the loss, Shirai said, “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.”