Nigeria’s Flamingos face Japan in U-17 Women’s World Cup final: All you need to know

Nigeria’s Flamingos will face Japan on Saturday in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Akeem Busari’s team have become the first African nation to reach the final of the competition. They will now attempt to win the trophy for the first time in Nigeria’s history.

Japan, meanwhile, will be looking to add a second title to the one they won in 2014. They have also reached the final twice before, finishing as runners-up in 2010 and 2016.

Nigeria booked their place in Saturday’s final with a 3-1 victory over Brazil, while Japan defeated North Korea on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Here is what you need to know ahead of the final.

Nigeria’s Flamingos vs Japan: Match details

The final will be played at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco.

• Fixture: Japan U-17 vs Nigeria U-17
• Competition: 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final
• Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
• Kick-off: 6:30 pm WAT
• Venue: Mohammed VI Football Complex, Pitch 3, Rabat, Morocco.

Nigeria’s Flamingos vs Japan: Previous best outings at the tournament

Nigeria’s best finish at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup came in 2022, when the Flamingos claimed the bronze medal.

They defeated Germany in the third-place match to finish third for the first time in the competition.

Japan won their first title in 2014 after beating Spain in the final. They also finished second in 2010 and 2016.

Saturday’s match will be their fourth appearance in the final. A victory would give them a second world title, while Nigeria are chasing their first.

Nigeria’s Flamingos vs Japan: Head-to-head record

Nigeria and Japan will meet for the first time at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

However, they have faced each other in other youth competitions, particularly at the U-20 level.

Japan beat Nigeria 2-1 in the bronze medal match of the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. They also thrashed the Falconets 6-0 in the group stage of the 2016 edition.

Japan therefore have the better record in their previous youth international meetings, but the Flamingos will hope to change that on Saturday.

How Nigeria’s Flamingos and Japan reached the final

Nigeria’s campaign did not get off to the best start, as they lost 2-1 to Poland in their opening group match.

They recovered with a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico before beating North Korea 3-1 to qualify for the knockout stages.

The Flamingos then defeated Mexico 2-1 in the Round of 16 and edged Venezuela 1-0 in the quarter-finals.

Their semi-final victory over Brazil was their most impressive result of the tournament. Nigeria won 3-1 to become the first African team to reach the final.

Japan had a stronger start in the group stage, recording victories over France and Zambia. They followed those results with wins over Kenya in the Round of 16 and Ghana in the quarter-finals.

Their semi-final against North Korea went to penalties after both teams finished 1-1 in regulation time. Japan held their nerve to win the shootout 4-1 and book their place in the final.

Nigeria’s Flamingos vs Japan: Key players and team news

Awawu Bashiru will be one of Nigeria’s main attacking threats against Japan after her performance in the semi-final. The midfielder produced the key moments against Brazil, scoring twice to help the Flamingos secure their place in the final.

Queen Joseph, Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, and Mary Dunstan are also expected to play important roles in Nigeria’s attack.

For Japan, midfielder Ito Fuki will be central to their attempts to control possession and dictate the pace of the game. Arguably the best Japanese player at the tournament has been defender Wara Shimizu, whose intelligent play has kept the Little Nadeshiko disciplined at the back.

Forward Nanami Kurita, with four goals in five appearances, is another player the Nigerian defence will need to watch closely because of her threat in front of goal.

No fresh injuries or suspensions have been reported for either team ahead of Saturday’s match.

Nigeria’s Flamingos vs Japan: Predicted lineups

The Flamingos are expected to retain their attacking approach, while Japan could stick with the 4-4-2 formation they have used during the tournament.

Nigeria U-17 (4-3-3): Ijirigho; Yusuf, Sunday, Oduntan, Stephen; Nkwocha, Bashiru, Dunstan; Adegbuyi, Umejiaku, Joseph.

Japan U-17 (4-4-2): Kadowak; Ito, Nishi, Yotsumoto, Morota; Fuki, Yamaji, Matsuhita, Kitajima; Hanashiro, Kurita.

Managers’ quotes ahead of the final

Nigeria coach Akeem Busari has told his players to stay focused and finish their work by winning the trophy.

“It’s just for us to concentrate, let’s put the icing on the cake, focus and finish the job, because the job is not yet done. We know we’re on the medals table, but the trophy is the major thing our country wants. We want it as well, we just need to fight,” Busari said.

He also believes Nigeria can draw lessons from their previous meeting with North Korea when preparing for Japan, given the similarities in their playing styles.

“It’s just about showing the same character and playing the same way we played with North Korea, because they play with the same philosophy. They want to build the ball, they look at the high line of passes, they want their full-backs to support, so we really want to look at all that,” he added.

Busari also spoke about what reaching the final means for his coaching career.

“At this level, I’m so excited, I’m happy. For my career, I knew it is a turning point for another bigger thing to come. It has not been too easy… against a lot of odds, we try to pick one or two things that will be of advantage, work on the details and play.”

Japan coach Sadayoshi Shirai has also made it clear that his team are not satisfied with simply reaching the final.

“We don’t want to stop here. We’ll continue moving forward, prepare as well as we can for the final, and give everything we have to become world champions,” Shirai said.

The Japanese coach praised his players for their performance against North Korea, particularly their determination to keep fighting until the penalty shootout.

“First of all, I’m really happy that we managed to win on penalties, after such a difficult match [against North Korea]. The players never gave up and continued to play well until the very end. I’m extremely proud of them.”

Shirai believes his players can win the title if they maintain the same attitude and teamwork.

“[Maintaining] the same untiring approach and teamwork should see us emerge champions,” he added.

Betting tips and match prediction

Nigeria’s attacking strength and physical approach could trouble Japan, especially if the Flamingos press as aggressively as they did against Brazil.

Japan are comfortable on the ball and have the passing ability to put Nigeria under pressure. Their midfield battle with the Flamingos could prove decisive.

Nigeria have scored freely in the knockout stages, but Japan have enough quality in attack to find the net.

Main prediction: Both teams to score.

Correct-score prediction: Nigeria 2-1 Japan.

How to watch Nigeria’s Flamingos vs Japan live

Fans in Nigeria and other parts of the world can watch the final through FIFA’s official streaming platform, FIFA+.

DAZN is also listed as a streaming option, although availability may depend on the country.

Supporters can visit FIFA+ or DAZN to check the broadcast options available in their region.