Onome Ebi bows out of professional football

Nigeria’s longest-serving women’s national team defender and former captain, Onome Ebi, has officially announced her retirement.

 

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The 41-year-old announced her decision on Tuesday through her official Instagram handle, confirming her exit from the footballing stage.

Ebi, who served as the captain of the Super Falcons for over a decade, said although she hangs her boots but she’ll still be involved as a voice in African football.

“Today, I officially retire from professional football. The journey has been filled with challenges, victories, and lessons that shaped me into who l am today. ThoughI hang up my boots, my purpose in the game continues – to give back, to guide, and to be a voice for players across Africa and beyond. Thank you.”

Ebi is the most-capped female player in Nigerian football history, with over 100 international caps for the Super Falcons.

The Nigerian was the first African footballer (both male or female) to feature in six FIFA World Cup tournaments, appearing at the 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023 editions.

She also represented Nigeria at the 2008 Olympic Games and was a cornerstone of the Super Falcons’ defensive setup across generations.

In the continental stage, Ebi lifted four Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) titles with Nigeria (2010, 2014, 2016, and 2018) and appeared in a record-equalling six editions of the tournament.

Beyond national team duty, ther former Super Falcons captains’ extensive club career spanned ten different teams in Nigeria and across the globe. In Nigeria, she played for Omidiran Babes, Bayelsa Queens, and Naija Ratels, while her international journey took her to various leagues, including Sweden (Piteå IF and Djurgårdens IF), Turkey (Düvenciler Lisesispor and Ataşehir Belediyespor), Belarus (FC Minsk), China (Henan Jianye W.F.C.), Spain (Levante Las Palmas), and Israel (Bnot Netanya).

She achieved significant success in her club career, particularly in Belarus and Turkey. During her time with Ataşehir Belediyespor in Turkey, she secured back-to-back Turkish Women’s First Football League titles in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. Her most fruitful period came with FC Minsk in Belarus, where she claimed consecutive Belarusian Premier League and Belarusian Women’s Cup doubles. She further added to her trophy cabinet with the Belarusian Women’s Super Cup in both 2014 and 2015.