Sadayoshi Shirai: Nigeria’s Strength, Speed And Physical Power Made The Difference

Japan coach Sadayoshi Shirai praised Nigeria’s strength, speed and physical power following his team’s 2-1 defeat to the Flamingos in Saturday’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final.

He admitted that Japan struggled to cope with Nigeria’s ability to get behind their defence but commended his players for fighting until the final whistle.

Shirai also felt an earlier goal could have improved Japan’s chances of winning the final, while urging his players to take pride in their performances throughout the tournament.

“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.”