Flamingos vs Japan: 3 reasons Nigeria deserve to win U-17 Women’s World Cup final

Nigeria’s Flamingos will face Japan in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on Saturday, November 7, with a chance to win the country’s first title in the competition.

The match will kick off at 7:30 pm WAT at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco.

Akeem Busari’s team reached the final after beating Brazil 3-1 in the semi-finals, making Nigeria the first African nation to reach the tournament’s final since its introduction in 2008.

Japan booked their place after eliminating defending champions North Korea on penalties, winning 4-1 following a 1-1 draw.

The Japanese have won the competition once, in 2014, and will be looking to add another title. However, Nigeria have three good reasons to believe they can beat them.

Why Flamingos can win U-17 Women’s World Cup

1. Flamingos have already beaten the defending champions

Nigeria have already shown they can beat the best in the competition, having defeated North Korea 3-1 in the group stage. North Korea arrived in Morocco as defending champions and had gone 18 matches without a defeat in regulation time at the U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The Flamingos ended that run with a convincing display, proving they could compete with the tournament’s strongest teams.

With Japan having needed penalties to get past North Korea in the semi-finals, Nigeria will take confidence from their earlier victory over the defending champions.

Brazil 🆚 Nigeria#U17WWC pic.twitter.com/uU3cG5aP83

— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) November 4, 2026

2. Nigeria have bounced back from their opening defeat

The Flamingos started the tournament with a 2-1 defeat to Poland, but that loss has been their only setback.

Busari’s players responded by winning their next five matches against Puerto Rico, North Korea, Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil.

Their 2-1 victory over Mexico in the Round of 16 was followed by a narrow 1-0 win against Venezuela before they produced their best performance yet to beat Brazil 3-1.

Recovering from an opening defeat to reach the final shows how much the team has improved. They have handled the pressure of knockout football and will head into Saturday’s match with confidence.

3. Flamingos have goals and defensive strength

Nigeria have scored 12 goals and conceded five in six matches, giving them a strong record at both ends of the pitch.

Awawu Bashiru has been one of their standout players, scoring twice in the semi-final against Brazil to send Nigeria into the final.

Oluebube Umejiaku, Queen Joseph, Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and captain Harmony Chidi have also contributed to the team’s attacking efforts.

Japan will test Nigeria with their technical ability and possession-based football, but the Flamingos have shown they can score against strong opposition without losing their defensive shape.

If they bring the same attacking threat and defensive discipline to the final, Nigeria have a genuine chance of beating Japan and becoming the first African champions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.