According to a report by Daily Post on Friday, October 23, 2026, North Korea head coach Ji Yun-nam has admitted that her players struggled to cope with Nigeria’s physical strength following their 3-1 defeat to the Flamingos at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The defending champions suffered their first defeat in the group-stage campaign against Akeem Busari’s side, who produced an impressive attacking performance to secure victory in their final Group B fixture.

Oluwakemi Adegbuyi opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 25th minute before Olibube Umejiaku doubled the advantage seven minutes before half-time.

Kanyinsola Yusuf extended the Flamingos’ lead shortly before the hour mark, putting Nigeria in a commanding position against the Asian side.

North Korea managed to reduce the deficit in the 82nd minute after a video assistant referee (VAR) review resulted in a penalty being awarded. Jong Hyang converted the spot kick, but the goal was insufficient to prevent her team from losing the encounter.

Reacting to the result, Yun-nam acknowledged the challenge of facing Nigeria and explained that the experience had highlighted areas her team needed to improve ahead of the knockout stage.

“Playing against a strong team like Nigeria made me realise how challenging it is to compete at the world level. Facing an African team also showed me that we need to prepare better in terms of strength. We will prepare well for the Round of 16 and aim to achieve a better result,” Yun-nam told FIFA.

The North Korean coach’s comments highlighted the importance of physical preparation as her team prepares for the next phase of the competition.

Despite the setback, North Korea finished top of Group B with six points, the same tally as Nigeria. The defending champions secured first place because of their superior goal difference, while the Flamingos progressed in second position.

Both teams have therefore qualified for the Round of 16, although Nigeria’s victory provided a significant boost to the confidence of Busari’s squad heading into the knockout stage.

The Flamingos will now seek to build on their performance against the defending champions as they continue their campaign in Morocco, while North Korea will look to address the weaknesses exposed by the defeat before their next match.

Yun-nam’s side will also be determined to respond positively after conceding three goals in a game that tested their ability to deal with Nigeria’s physical approach and attacking threat.