Super Falcons captain Onome Ebi is relishing her sixth appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The 40 year old veteran is set to play for the Nigerian Women’s team at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The tournament will run from July 20 to August 20.
The Super Falcons will take on Canada on Friday, July 21 in their first game at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.
Ebi rejoiced over the accolade on her official Twitter handle.
“6th coming through in 4 days. Let’s do this together 🇳🇬⚽🤗💪🙏. Don’t fight or question what hard work, dedication, consistency, and grace can make you achieve. Luck or politics, as most people say, can never get you this far in sports. Don’t allow anyone to deceive u😁❤️.”
Ebi has scored three goals in 107 games for the Super Falcons of Nigeria.
She is first African footballer to play in five FIFA World Cups and she is about to appear in a record extending sixth showpiece.
The Super Falcons are in Group B alongside hosts Australia, Republic of Ireland and Canada.
The Super Falcons have participated in all FIFA Women’s World Cups since it’s inception in China 1991.
Got what it Takes?
Predict and Win Millions Now
23 Comments
CSN why didn’t you people give us the NEWS where GENERAL ROAR HAILED RANGERS SIGNING of CYRIL DESSERS????
The combination of Faith Ikidi, Ngozi Ebere, Osinachi Ohale, Evelyn Nwabuoku and Onome Ebi powering our defence at the last world cup ended up being a ghastly train wreck.
In just 4 games, they shared 1 red card, 2 penalties, 2 own goals and no less than 7 goals conceded.
Even at that time, 4 years ago, those ladies were already growing long in the tooth as they we well into their 30s even according to their official age.
The only shining star in that defence was the younger, fitter and more agile Chidinma Okeke. I had high hopes for Okeke but sadly she is no longer part of this set up.
I have to thank Waldrum in this area for bedding in younger defenders like Plumptre, Alozie, Imuran and Demehin whilst Payne can also play as a full back if push comes to shove.
I pray this tournament will serve as the swansong for most of our “evergreen” players. They have served us well over the years and we reserve nothing but gratitude and admiration for their efforts.
But there’s a time to call it a day. When the Olympics qualifiers commence in the coming months, it will be helpful to inject fresh faces in various departments. The talents are there at home and abroad.
Hopefully Waldrum will be practical in his player selections for this tournament.
@Deo… This woman Onome Ebi should have retired. People like them remain in the team using politics to keep younger players out. People played before her and retired, and she should be thinking retirement now. She is almost 40years if I am not mistaken. There are seasons happening naturally to everything with life… Nobody can outlive time, haba. She is still a good player no doubt, but in same vein, it can be argued that players should continue playing even though it is clear there should be a change of baton. Nigeria won’t win the world cup, so what folks like Onome Ebi still doing in the team of not just money considerations… She is too old now and face other interests now in life. She is just another Ahmed Musa situation… She is here modeling kits when other younger girls should be doing that…
My brother, in recent games hard first touch has been suspect. Pace has totally deserted her and she has the tendency to lose our in 1-1 Mexican standoffs more so against nifty strikers.
Ebi is already 40 years old. I watched in horror at the last world cup as she and Ohale scored own goals whilst Ebere and Nwabuoku gave away damaging penalties: they just couldn’t keep up.
When suspensions led to the the introduction of younger Chidinma Okeke, you could instantly see what we had been missing in the back line.
Even against USA 2 years ago, Chidinma Okeke looked as sharp as razor. I had expected her to come to her own by now but she has sadly fallen off the national team grid. I am a huge fan of Demehin and Imuran but, again, starting both of them fresh off Under-20 football can be risky. He (Waldrum) doesn’t seem to have a lot of faith in error prone Glory Ogbonna yet he took her to the World Cup! Crazy!
That said, Waldrum should start Ohale and Ebi at his own peril.
Truth be told,, how many of the said young folks ahve done better than the older ones so far….?
This thing of retiring a player just becuase there is a young fellow in the wings is very laughable.
If you as a young player cannot perform better than a so-called dead-leg, what is your business in the national team in the first instance
Sometimes you guys sound as it we have some plethora of yousters playing at some extravagantly high level, heads and shoulders better than those currently in the team.
We’ve been watching the friendlies this team has been playing thus far…..the aged Onome still looks like the standout CB in the team. After her, Ohale and Ashley. The rest are a disaster waiting to happen.
If it is by onw goals, both okeke and Demehin have delivered world class owngoals in our last couple of friendlies in the USA,
It is is by 1 on 1 take ons, there none of the SF Defenders including the youger ones anybody here can vouch for. Even plumptre was shredded into pieces many times at the AWCON when she came up against faster attackers.
The national team is not meant to be a creche where a young player is babied. You get promoted to the national team when you have show you can mix it up with those in the team or even do better.
If the younger players cannot produce better performances than Onome and/or Ohale why attempt to force them into retirement
If as a young player you are not doing better than an aged player even at your young age you simply arent just ready yet.
Where there no younger players in Germany when Lothar Matheus played 5 world cups…?
where there no younger players in Cameroon when Roger Milla scored at the World cup at the age of 42….?
Before Segun Toriala retired he was asked why he hasnt retired from the national team yet after so many decades, he simply said none of the younger players could defeat him in the national trials yet. And that’s as simple as it gets.
If the coaches feel they need her, then its their choice to make. If they dont, it still remains their choice to make.
And as the captain of the team, it only gets worse. Like I’ve always said, no national team coach discards the national team captain like a piece of towel…. Except of course if you are a Sunday Oliseh.
Know that and know peace…!!
Perpetu Nkwocha played for the SF into her forties before she called it quits. So what is the fuse about Ebi ……???
Nice one @DR DREY the same applies to AHMED MUSA situation. Some FOLKS will just be shouting that he should retire when the YOUNGER FOLKS have not done anything better…
@MONKEY POST Abeg do and leave this site as you have said na haba!. wettin be the hold up
guys is it the same old Dr. Drey???? i missed you man!
And @DEO I must COMMEND your PASSION for the COUNTRY’S FOOTBALL..NICE ONE BRO. Keep it up!
Too much talk no dey full basket a beg. Hahahah.
🙂
LOL..my brother DEO no be lie..e no dey full basket
@ monkey post and ugo lol!!!!!!!!!!!
I no want miss any of you guys.
I also think USA is coming with one over 40yrs of age player. So I think Ebi would not work alone in this tournament
Ah, the speedstar, Chidinma Okeke! @deo, whatever happened to her, please!? I remember that counter attacking sublime pass she delivered to Oshoala at the last World Cup against South Korea, which the Barcelona lass finished off with aplomb. In fact, Chidinma was the architect of that great counter-attackibg move. A really beautiful and memorable goal it was .
There also used to be one Chinwendu Ihezuo and Chinaza Uchendu. These 3 were SF youngsters, along with Chiamaka Nnadozie and Raheedat Ajibade who were like the face of the future of the team. But as it turns, only Chiamaka and Raheedat came through. And there was this other intelligent striker who was a younger sister to a former SE forward. She was contemporary of Oshoala at the U20 WC back then.
MEHN I will soon DUMP this SITE and go to where they REPORT more on the GOOD man GENERAL ROAR. Is like CSN is BIASED in their REPORTAGE cos if is NEWS concerning all those LAZY EX INTERNATIONALS CSN will sharply REPORT it…
@MONKEY POST WOW that will be great.
Dr Drey,
If you ask me, I think the problem is a lack of a “suitable and transparent transition process”.
What do I mean?
Trust me, I have binged on the full match of the Wafcon 2016 final between Nigeria and Cameroon and I must tell you, our victorious ladies looked leggy, tired and lethargic in that match. Looking back, I felt a well runned national team set up should have looked for ways to gradually and respectfully phase out some of the old guard. Note I said gradually.
By now, a properly administered transition process should have produced players outside last year’s Under-20 world cup.
It was then very disheartening for me to see that 3 years later on the 2019, the trio of Ebi, Ohale and Ikidi from 2016 still formed the backbone of our defence.
Some backbone!
So, it came to no surprise to me that our defensive backline experienced fractures at the slightest exposure to attacking stress. It was a cutlet of chaos as we endured red cards, own goals (one each from Ebi and Ohale) and 2 penalties in just 4 games: no greater indications of the fragility of that defence need be sought.
Now, 7 years after the 2016 Afcon final that we scraped victory by the skin of our defensive teeth, you want me to be comfortable seeing Ebi and Ohale in our starting lineup: tufia kwa!
You go and enjoy a starting lineup of Ebi and Ohale against England, Canada and USA, just don’t come back to me once you are treated to the same cabaret of chaos that we witnessed 4 years ago.
I’ve got nothing against our evergreen sisters and it is up to Physical Trainer Kyle Quigley to report to Waldrum on whichever of the players he observered to be physically fit for the gruelling challenges ahead. It will then be up to Waldrum to pick his starting 11: lobatan!
As for me, I will have my pop corn to hand and soda water by my side, waiting to see what this 9th Super Falcons World Cup Series has to offer.
Adieu!
Would you rather have a starting line up of Demehin and Glory Ogbonna vs England, Canada or USA on the balance of what you’ve seen from them both in the lead up to this world cup…?
I dont even want to imagine it…..LMAOoo. Ive had enough nightmares watching our national teams of late already.
The last match we played vs USA when we played a 3-man central defence of Ohale, Demehin and Ogbonna (or so). We were not just in 6s and 7s, we actually were in 60s and 70s at the back. Ohale (the aged one) was clearly the standout CB amongst the trio. She appeared to be the only one who knew where she needed to be on the pitch.
Our neglect of our youth systems has been a major factor behind the seemingly lacking transitions in our senior national teams. Between 2016 and 2023, How many u17, U20 and Olympic tournaments did we attend. Apart from Rashidat Ajibade and Chiamaka Nnadozie, Ive not seen our youth teams throw up any new senior-team ready talents for the Falcons in the last 6 years.
We didnt need to retire Nkwocha for the likes of Desire, Ordega or Assisat to emerge…..No. These girls were putting Perpe on the bench steadily b4 she decided that she’s had enough after the 2015 WC at 40 or there about. The U17 and U20 teams of 2010 to 2014 gave us a large dose of quality talents who retired the older ones themselves. The likes of Ohale, Ugo Njoku, Sarah Nnodim, Josephine Chukwunonye, Okobi, Halimatu Ayinde, Ihezuo came in and blew anyone in that position away while they were still teenagers. That’s why it seems they have stayed too long in the Falcons even though they are mostly in their late 20s now.
Have we had to retire Tochukwu Oluehi for Chiamaka to emerge…? Did we retire Ngozi Okobi now or was she simply displaced by a way-better-performing duo or Echegini and Okoronkow…??
So really, where are those younger ones we are clamoring for when they arent even matching what the ones we called “tired legs” are offering.
Should we just be cool with maintaining low quality simply because its of a younger age….??
While I agree with you that we need a revamp, but it shouldn’t just be revamping to still retain the same quality of output.
The national team is not an Age grade team, so it has no age limits. Its simply for the best you can muster at any point and if 40 year old Onome is still proving that at 40, a 19 year old Demehin cannot do better than her, why then do we want to push her out.
I cant remember us retiring a Florence Omagbemi or Yinka Kudaisi or Kikelomo Ajayi just because we had Faith Ikidi and Onome Ebi back in 2003. They left one after the other when the younger ones started stamping their feet in the team and earning their places.
When there is proper transition in place you dont need to retire anyone for anyone, the young ones who are ripe enough will step up and deliver performances that will force the old guard out of the system.
The Olympics will be holding next year. Even though it’s not an U23 even yet, but to planning sakes, I would like to see a bulk of our last U17 and U20 girls, spiced with those below 25 in this current squad featuring in the Olympic team, while we expect the NFF to put its house in order and ensure there is a coach in place and preparations for qualifying games are top notch.
Participation in the next Olympics is very crucial for the future of the Super Falcons.
Its a similar problem we are witnessing in the SE too. The week talent pool from the U20s to U23s is largely a contributing factor to the stagnation that team is experiencing today. Imagine if we had like 6-8 U23 players who played in the Tokyo Olympics to call on…unlike some random kids who are experiencing a purple patch in their clubs in Europe but green horns when it comes to international football.
Whether we deny it or not, having feature previously in an international youth tournament especially U20s and U23s helps a player settle faster in the Super Eagles than when they are just plucked fresh from their clubs and invited to the Senior national team.
Hmm! The Under-20s and Under-17s of Ordega, Oparanozie, Ayinde etc were an atomic bomb! Those ones will likely retire any generation of Super Falcons.
They (Ordega etc) transitioned into the Super Falcons so seamlessly that many people (including myself at times) erroneously count their Underage careers as their full national team career. 🙂
Esther Sunday, Rabi Ihiabe, Gloria Ofoegbu, Charity Adule, Cecelia Nku…. Na wa o! These ladies could have even retired some Super EAGLES players if they were given the opportunity. Hahahah
Of late, Chris Danjuma and to some extent Bankole Olowookere also helped to assemble some truly quality and technically gifted female players that can form the fulcrum of the Super Falcons for years to come. Both coaches can be very proud of themselves for producing the likes of Onyenezide, Sebastian, Idoko, Ajakaye, Taiwo Afolabi and Abiodun.
But yeah, Senior football has no age limit and I apologise for sounding ageist – me sef no kuku be young man anymore.
But I hope some of those wonderful older Falcons will use this tournament as their swansong. We do have younger indigenous and dual nationality players who should be able to hold their own. Demehin and Imruan played reasonably well against USA last year while Deborah Abiodun (fresh off under 20) didn’t look out of place against heavyweights Japan last year.
If Ohale and Onome were benched in this tournament, I don’t think they will be missed. Afterall Coach Ngozi Eucharia Uche threw 17 year old Oparanozie into the deep end the 2011 world cup and she didn’t look like a fish out of water.
For me, Randy must be bold, brave and also experimental in his squad selection. He has shown the NFF that he is in charge of his team, he now has to prove it to everyone else in how prudent he is in assembling his match day starting 11s.
That 2010-2014 set of U17s and U20s where just a shipload of talents. They retired anybody that was retire-able in the Senior National team then, and without anyone’s help.
Im even struggling to recall the names of the players in the SF at the time before they emerged. That’s how quick they were in erasing their footprints off our minds and embossing theirs for close to a decade now. We have become so used to them now that while they are just in their mid to late 20s we are already feeling they are old and have overstayed in the SF.
The question now is that after the drought that followed, from 2016 to 2022, are we ready to harness what the U17s and U20s of 2022 have thrown up….and are those ones too ready to up their games and stake claims in the SF….??
Coach Danjuma has done well to merge both squads into the WAFU U20 squad that played in Ghana earlier in the year. I hope the NFF technical department will sit down and nurture a growth plan that will usher them into the next olympics and then subsequently into the Super Falcons.
But as for retiring somebody for someone else…we wont do that. She who wants to be a Super Falcon must be ready to fight her way into the team and prove herself worthy to “bear the Mark”….no free passes to anyone
Ah, the speedstar, Chidinma Okeke! @deo, whatever happened to her, please!? I remember that counter attacking sublime pass she delivered to Oshoala at the last World Cup against South Korea, which the Barcelona lass finished off with aplomb. In fact, Chidinma was the architect of that great counter-attackibg move. A really beautiful and memorable goal it was .
There also used to be one Chinwendu Ihezuo and Chinaza Uchendu. These 3 were SF youngsters, along with Chiamaka Nnadozie and Raheedat Ajibade who were like the face of the future of the team. But as it turns, only Chiamaka and Raheedat came through. And there was this other intelligent striker who was a younger sister to a former SE forward. She was contemporary of Oshoala at the U20 WC back then.
thats courtney dike , a lovely attacker and she combines well in front at d under20 but i dnt knw aw she just disappear frm d team …. anoda player dat her disappearance surprised me is esther sunday
@Deo and @ Dr. Drey, I truly enjoyed your discussions above. Full of interesting insights and absolutely no insults. Throwing in the names of some players whose era brings nostalgic feelings further spiced up your submissions here. How I wish all discussions in this forum could be as refreshing and civil as this even when you obviously didn’t agree with each others viewpoints.
Keep it up, guys!
Well…I just pray there’ll be solutions to that central defensive pairings during this World Cup. Onome and Ohale can’t continue forever anything that makes them start more than one match together in this tournament then we have big problem.
It’s obvious they are weak (I mean very weak). One former South African female player was forced to point it out as the main problem we are facing even pointed out that Ebi and few players has been there since her playing days. I’ve been watching Bayana Bayana lately they recently lost 0 – 5 against Botswana and 1 – 5 against Netherlands , they’re not spectacular but against Nigeria with Onome at the back, you will see the best of Kgantlana, Modise, Motlalo etc all those funny names on Score board. We need to be trying those young lads, give them confidence. Wether we like it or not, Onome ebi and Ohale are already in the list and they are few of the best we have for this tournament but if we really want to get back to our best, they need to find their replacement soon starting with this tournament .
We had patience Avre in the past and Stella Mbachu before Ordega and I can tell you that presently, I prefer seeing Tony Payne on that wing if not for her versatility.
@Monkey.. same for your Ahmed Musa. Musa can’t continue to be struggling with his unknown club and we’ll keep saying because he’s performing better than Lookman in super Eagles color then he should be ahead any other players yet the coach will never make mistake of starting him ahead of Lookman and others in serious match just like the way falcons coach has reduced the playing time of Onome Ebi for the underperforming demehin.
We Move.