Nigeria's Flamingos stand one match away from history on Saturday evening when they face Japan in the final of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Rabat, Morocco.

The match at Pitch 3 of the Mohammed VI Football Complex kicks off at 7:30pm Nigerian time. Victory would make Nigeria the first African nation ever to win the competition, a landmark for the continent's women's youth football.

Nigeria's route to the final has been remarkable. The Flamingos lost their opening group match 2-1 to Poland, then won five matches in a row to reach the showpiece. Their semi-final triumph, a 3-1 victory over Brazil, secured a first-ever place in the final and confirmed Nigeria as the first African country to reach this stage of the tournament.

Japan present a formidable obstacle. The Young Nadeshiko are chasing a second world title, having won the competition in 2014, and they reached the final after edging Korea DPR on penalties following a 1-1 draw. Japan have conceded no goals in the group stage and arrive unbeaten, with a record of three wins from three.

Saturday's meeting is the first between the two nations at the tournament and their first-ever clash in a global final. It is also the tenth final in the competition's history. Japan head coach Sadayoshi Shirai will take charge of his 16th match at the tournament, a new record for coaching appearances.

Nigeria head coach Akeem Busari has named an unchanged starting XI from the side that beat Brazil, keeping faith with the team that has carried the Flamingos this far. The final will be streamed free on FIFA+.

[Source: thenigeriannews.com](https://thenigeriannews.com/2026/11/07/preview-flamingos-face-japan-in-historic-u-17-world-cup-final/) | [Source: aclsports.com](https://www.aclsports.com/u17wwc-final-preview-japan-vs-nigeria/)