Legendary Super Falcons defender, Onome Ebi, has officially retired from professional football, closing the curtain on a remarkable career that spanned over two decades with Nigeria’s women’s national team.
Ebi announced her decision in a post on her X account on Wednesday.
She wrote: “Today, I officially retire from professional football. The journey has been filled with challenges, victories, and lessons that shaped me into who I am today.
“Though I hang up my boots, my purpose in the game continues, to give back, to guide, and to be a voice for players.”
Widely regarded as one of Africa’s greatest female footballers, the 42-year-old centre-back boasts an illustrious record at both continental and global levels.
Since making her Super Falcons debut in 2003, Ebi has gone on to earn 109 caps — the most by any Nigerian female player. She won four African Women’s Championship titles in 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2018.
In 2019, she made history as the first African footballer, male or female, to feature in five FIFA World Cup tournaments. She later extended that record in 2023, when at age 40, she appeared in her sixth World Cup, coming off the bench in Nigeria’s 3–2 win against co-hosts Australia.
Ebi also represented Nigeria at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and featured in multiple African Women’s Championship campaigns throughout her career.