Japan and Nigeria will go head-to-head in the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final, with the Flamingos aiming to become the first African nation to lift the trophy, www.aclsports.com reports.
Nigeria will be making their first appearance in the final, having already made history as the first African nation to reach this stage. The Flamingos previously finished third in 2022 to claim the bronze medal.
Japan, meanwhile, will be competing in their fourth final, having previously reached the showpiece in 2010, 2014 and 2016. They won their maiden title in 2014 after defeating Spain 2-0.
Saturday’s encounter will mark the first meeting between the two nations at the tournament and their first-ever clash in a global final.
Nigeria’s Road to the Final
Nigeria began their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Poland but bounced back with a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico before recording a 3-1 win over two-time reigning champions DPR Korea, ending their 18-match unbeaten run in regulation time at the tournament.
The Flamingos followed with a 2-1 win over Mexico in the Round of 16 and a late 1-0 victory against Venezuela in the quarter-finals before defeating Brazil 3-1 in the semi-finals to secure their place in the final.
Victory would make Nigeria the first African nation to win the title and the first team to lose their opening match and go on to lift the trophy.
Japan’s Road to the Final
Japan won all their group-stage matches without conceding a goal before beating Kenya 3-1 in the Round of 16 and Ghana 1-0 in the quarter-finals.
They then overcame DPR Korea on penalties in the semi-finals after a late own goal helped force a shootout.
Saturday’s final will be coach Sadayoshi Shirai’s 16th match at the tournament, making him the coach with the most appearances in its history. Victory would give an Asian nation its seventh title in the competition.
Key Players
Nigeria’s Oluebube Umejiaku has recorded a goal contribution in each of her last five games, scoring twice and providing two assists, while also winning the penalty against Venezuela. Oluwakemi Adegbuyi has scored twice, assisted against Brazil and been a driving force in Nigeria’s attack.
Japan’s Mei Hanashiro has scored four goals and provided one assist, while Nanami Kurita has also netted four times, finding the net against all three African teams Japan have faced: Zambia, Kenya and Ghana.
MATCH DETAILS:
Match: Japan vs Nigeria
Date: Saturday, 7 November 2026
Time: 7:30 PM (WAT)
Venue: Mohammed VI Football Complex, Pitch 3, Rabat, Morocco
What they said
Sadayoshi Shirai (Japan head coach):
“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.”
Akeem Busari (Nigeria head coach):
“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. I’m excited and I’m happy, but we just really want to pick up the trophy. That would be the icing on the cake.”
How to Watch
The final will be available to stream free of charge on FIFA+ via DAZN.
Image: Dorcas Koki
