The Nigeria women’s national football team, also known as the Super Falcons, represents Nigeria in international women’s football. They are one of the most successful women’s national teams in Africa, having won the African Women’s Cup of Nations a record 11 times as of 2021.
The team has participated in several FIFA Women’s World Cup grand tournaments. Their best performance came in 1999 when they reached the quarterfinals, becoming the first African team to advance that far in the competitionn. Nigeria has also qualified for the tournament in subsequent years, including the most recent edition in 2019.
Over the years, the Nigeria women’s national team has produced several talented players who have made significant contributions to the sport. Here are a few notable players from the past:
1. Perpetua Nkwocha: Nkwocha is considered one of Nigeria’s greatest female footballers. She represented the national team from 1999 to 2015 and is the all-time leading scorer for the Super Falcons.
2. Mercy Akide: Akide is another Nigerian football legend who played for the national team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She was known for her goal-scoring ability and was instrumental in Nigeria’s success during that period.
3. Desire Oparanozie: Oparanozie played as a forward for Nigeria from 2010 to 2020. She was a key player for the Super Falcons and represented the team in multiple World Cups and African Women’s Cup of Nations tournaments.
4. Asisat Oshoala: Oshoala is a talented forward who made her breakthrough in Nigerian women’s football in the mid-2010s. She has achieved success both domestically and internationally, winning multiple African Women’s Footballer of the Year awards.
She spent time in China, played for Liverpool and Arsenal in England, and is now a star for Barcelona in Spain. She plays offensive midfield and was given the moniker “Seedorf” in honour of the Dutch midfielder. The prolific Barcelona striker earned her debut in a friendly loss to world champions Japan in September 2013 and went on to become the first African woman to win the Primera División’s Pichichi Trophy in 2022.
She’s been to two world cups. At the 2019 edition, FIFA nominated her goal, which she scored against South Korea for Goal of the Tournament. She has 30 goals in total so far for Nigeria since her debut. Two of them were at the World Cups in 2015 and 2019.
5: Onome Ebi: The long-standing defender Onome Ebi made her debut in 2003 and has played 107 games and scoring 3 goals. Her first goal was against Romania on January 20, 2019 in the Four Nations tournament held in China. In 2019 she became the first African footballer to play in 5 FIFA World Cup tournaments taking part in the 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015, 2019 editions. She will make her sixth trip to the Finals, becoming one of just three women to do so. Japan’s Homare Sawa and Brazil’s Formiga are the only other two.
These are just a few examples of the talented players who have represented Nigeria in women’s football. As the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup approaches, there may be new rising stars and players who will make their mark on the international stage.
