Veteran Nigerian defender Onome Ebi has officially announced her retirement from professional football, bringing to a close a remarkable career spanning over 20 years with the Super Falcons.
The 42-year-old revealed her decision in a post shared on her X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday.
“Today, I officially retire from professional football,” she wrote.
“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.”
Ebi retires as one of Africa’s most accomplished female footballers, having set both continental and global records during her career.
She made her Super Falcons debut in 2003 and earned 109 international caps—the highest number by any female Nigerian player. She was instrumental in Nigeria’s dominance of African women’s football, helping the team win the African Women’s Championship in 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2018.
In 2019, Ebi made history as the first African footballer, male or female, to feature in five FIFA World Cup tournaments. She extended that record in 2023 by making a sixth World Cup appearance at the age of 40, coming on as a substitute in Nigeria’s dramatic 3–2 win over co-hosts Australia.
Her illustrious career also included representing Nigeria at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and numerous appearances in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Ebi’s retirement signals the end of an era for the Super Falcons, where she was widely respected as both a leader and role model on and off the field.
