Super Falcons star Ifeoma Onumonu announces retirement

By Ayobami Okerinde

Super Falcons guardant Ifeoma Onumonu has announced her status from football, bringing an extremity to a singular vocation that spanned much than 2 decades.

The Nigerian international, who featured astatine the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup successful Australia and New Zealand, shared the quality connected her Instagram leafage connected Saturday, expressing gratitude for her travel connected and disconnected the pitch.

“It is with a bosom afloat of gratitude that I bid farewell to my playing vocation connected the pitch,” she wrote.

“I started playing shot erstwhile I was 8 years old, connected a squad called the Magic. We played successful white, black, and greenish jerseys astatine the AYSO fields adjacent my house. I retrieve however immense I thought the tract was. I don’t retrieve if I played an existent presumption oregon if I adjacent passed the ball.

“All I wanted to bash was tally arsenic accelerated arsenic I could and score. I didn’t overmuch attraction astir winning oregon losing; I conscionable loved playing. I loved discovering what my assemblage could bash and what I could bash with the ball.”

The 31-year-old reflected connected her achievements, including winning the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) title successful the United States, representing Nigeria astatine the Olympics and the World Cup, and playing a portion successful the Super Falcons’ historical 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title.

“Now, 22 years later, I consciousness I person reached a earthy decision to that discovery. It has been an unthinkable journey,” she noted.

“This is not a goodbye to football, but a caller beginning. I americium excited to research opportunities disconnected the pitch, utilizing the skills and lessons learned from my clip connected it.”

She besides took clip to convey those who person been portion of her journey, “Thank you to each the staff, teammates, coaches, doctors, fans, and my unthinkable friends and household for your unwavering enactment done the years. Although my clip arsenic a subordinate has travel to an end, my emotion and devotion for this crippled volition ne'er waver.”

Onumonu began her nonrecreational vocation successful the National Women’s Soccer League with the Boston Breakers. Over the years, she played for respective clubs, including Portland Thorns, Reign FC, Utah Royals, and NJ/NY Gotham FC, earlier taking her vocation to Europe with French broadside Montpellier HSC.

The station Super Falcons prima Ifeoma Onumonu announces retirement appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.