Super Falcons striker Ifeoma Onumonu has announced her retirement from professional football.
Onumonu was part of the Super Falcons team that won a record 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Championship in Morocco in July.
The 31-year-old Montpellier striker announced her retirement from the sport in a post via her Instagram page on Saturday morning.
It is with a heart full of gratitude that I bid farewell to my playing career on the pitch.
I started playing football when I was eight years old, on a team called the Magic.We played in white, black, and green jerseys at the AYSO fields near my house. I remember how vast I thought the field was. I don’t remember if I played an actual position or if I even passed the ball.
All I wanted to do was run as fast as I could and score. I didn’t much care about winning or losing; I just loved playing. I loved discovering what my
body could do and what I could do with the ball.Now, 22 years later, I feel I have reached a natural conclusion to that discovery. It has been an incredible journey.
I had the profound pleasure of lifting an NWSL championship trophy, representing Nigeria at the Olympics and a World Cup, and helping to lift the African Cup of Nations trophy with the Super Falcons for a historic 10th time.
This is not a goodbye to football, but a new beginning. I am excited to explore opportunities off the pitch, using the skills and lessons learned
from my time on it.Thank you to all the staff, teammates, coaches, doctors, fans, and my incredible friends and family for your unwavering support through the
years.Although my time as a player has come to an end, my love anddevotion for this game will never waver. Thank you for everything.
Sincerely,
Ifeoma Onumonu
Ifeoma Onumonu started her college career with California Golden Bears where she scored 33 goals in 82 matches.
She went on begin her professional career with Boston Breakers in the National Women’s Soccer League in 2017.
Onumonu played for Portland Thorns and Reign FC between 2018 and 2019 before she sighed for Gotham FC.
At Gotham FC, she played for three seasons and helped the team win its second National Women’s Soccer League title in 2023.
Ifeoma Onumonu represented the United States U-23 Women’s soccer team before getting an invitation to play for the Super Falcons in 2021.
Onumonu represented Nigeria at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and two Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
