Nigeria and Japan will contest the decider at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, and the result may hinge on individual flair, tactical discipline and decisive displays. Six players, three from each team, look the likeliest to influence how the match unfolds.
After losing their first match to Poland, the Flamingos fought back to win five games in a row and reach the final. Japan have shown their class all through the tournament, pairing technical precision with efficient attacking to make yet another final.
Each side has players who can swing the match. Nigeria's attacking menace has been supplied by a variety of sources at various points, whereas Japan have depended on a well-drilled team that includes several standout individuals.
Even so, one of the most striking aspects of Nigeria's run has been that nearly every game has seen another match winner emerge.
Five Flamingos, five players named best on the pitch at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
Going into the final, the strength of Nigeria's squad has lain largely in how many of its players can win a game. The team has not relied on a lone star to shoulder the burden; instead, a different player has stepped up each time the situation called for it.
The spread of Player of the Match honours at this tournament shows as much: across six games, five separate Nigerian players have been given the award.
- Oluwakemi Adegbuyi picked up the honour when Nigeria beat Puerto Rico 2-0.
- Kanyinsola Yusuf stood out above her teammates in the 3-1 victory against Korea DPR.
- Oluebube Umejiaku was named the best player after Nigeria's 2-1 win against Mexico.
- Favour Nkwocha was given the award for her contribution in the last-eight tie against Venezuela.
- Awawu Bashiru starred against Brazil, netting a brace as Nigeria won the semi-final 3-1.
What this shows is that Nigeria can turn to a different leader as circumstances dictate, whether that depends on the match itself, who is across the pitch, or which players start. Against Japan, that flexibility could be decisive, particularly should the final turn into a test of stamina, tactical tweaks and flashes of individual brilliance.
Japan against Nigeria: half a dozen players who might settle the U-17 Women's World Cup showdown
PREMIUM TIMES, however, has picked out six of the finest players from the two teams who might swing the final on the day.
Oluebube Umejiaku — Nigeria
Umejiaku has scored three times so far and has become one of the most influential attackers in Nigeria's side in Morocco.
Her contribution goes beyond goals: the forward has repeatedly unsettled opposing defences with her movement, smart positioning and readiness to run into the space behind the back line.
Umejiaku also set up a goal in the win against Puerto Rico, and she was central to Nigeria's last-eight triumph over Venezuela, where she earned the penalty that decided the tie.
Facing Japan, Nigeria could find a valuable source of attacking threat in her skill at pulling defenders out of shape and running into the gaps they leave. Should she bring the same sharp, mobile displays she has produced all through the competition, Umejiaku may cause the Japanese back line serious trouble?
Nanami Kurita — Japan
Four strikes in the competition have made Kurita one of the most threatening attackers in the Japan side, and she has become a real danger around the opposition box.
She also netted the decisive strike versus Ghana in the last eight, showing once more that she delivers in the tensest moments.
Nigeria must not hand this forward too much room. Her movement, calmness before goal and finishing make her a danger, and since Japan often attack through rapid passing combinations and clever running, her knack for finding pockets of space inside the penalty box might punish any moment of switched-off defending.
Nigeria's defenders will have to keep a close watch on where she positions herself, and make sure she cannot take the ball with ease in the areas that hurt.
Oluwakemi Adegbuyi - Nigeria
Another key presence in Nigeria's front line has been Adegbuyi, who has netted twice and also helped the side link up smoothly around the opposition box.
Her worth extends beyond finishing moves. She helped create the move that led to Queen Joseph's strike past Brazil in the last-four tie, which again showed that she can make chances for team-mates and influence how Nigeria go forward.
Japan are happy to hold on to the ball and keep a well-ordered defence, and Adegbuyi's reading of space, her combination play with team-mates and her readiness to step into dangerous areas could count for a great deal against them.
As the decider is expected to call for patience and sharpness when shooting chances arrive, Adegbuyi's capacity to both score and create might prove important for Nigeria's hopes.
Midfield, captaincy and goalkeeping in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup decider
Harura Matsushita — Japan
Matsushita was named as one of Japan's main midfield players before the competition kicked off, and she has justified that billing as a vital piece of the team's framework.
Japan's holding midfielder is a calm, clever presence, equally good at keeping the ball and at reading when to break up what the opposition are building.
She may prove especially influential in the final, since whichever side wins the fight for midfield could be the one that gets to play the way it wants.
The Nigerian side must therefore work out how to restrict her impact, stop her from setting the rhythm of the game, and interrupt the short passing exchanges through which Japan create chances from central areas.
Should Matsushita be given plenty of time and room on the ball, she could assist Japan in taking the kind of grip on matches that has left them so hard to face in this tournament.
Azeezat Oduntan — Nigeria
With Chidi Harmony missing, Oduntan wears the armband for the Flamingos on the pitch, and carries real responsibility for keeping Nigeria's shape tight against one of the most potent attacks at the competition.
Japan have netted 14 times en route to the final, a tally that shows how dangerous they become when allowed space and time to construct their moves. Oduntan's leadership, awareness in defence and capacity to keep her team disciplined will thus be vital as Nigeria try to keep Japan's front line in check.
As well as handling her own marking and covering duties, the skipper must keep those around her well-organized, especially in the testing stretches of the match where Japan are expected to control the ball for periods.
If Nigeria are to have a real chance of winning the trophy, what Oduntan offers in defence might matter just as much as what the forwards deliver at the opposite end of the pitch.
Kou Kadowaki - Japan
Kadowaki, the Japan goalkeeper, has already shown she can shape big moments, having saved a decisive penalty when Japan beat Korea DPR in the last four.
That save helped Japan get through a nervy match that ultimately had to be settled from the spot, and the memory of it should have boosted her self-belief going into the final.
What Nigeria must do is put her under real pressure with well-directed efforts, not merely pile up the number of attempts on goal. The Flamingos have proved they can carve out chances, most notably against Brazil in the last four, where they had 35 attempts to Brazil's seven.
