Nigeria’s senior women’s national team midfielder Christy Ucheibe has officially departed SL Benfica women after six successful seasons with the Portuguese giants.
Ucheibe leaves Benfica with an impressive legacy, having been a key figure in one of the club’s most dominant periods in women’s football. During her time in Lisbon, the Nigerian midfielder played an important role in Benfica’s historic run of six consecutive Portuguese women’s league titles, contributing to the club’s continued success domestically.
The 24-year-old midfielder, known for her work rate, defensive ability, and tactical discipline, also helped Benfica secure more than 15 trophies across domestic competitions, including league titles, cup triumphs, and other honours.
Since joining Benfica, Ucheibe grew into one of the club’s most reliable performers, while also establishing herself as an important member of the Nigeria women’s national football team. Her performances at club level have complemented her international career, where she has represented Nigeria at major tournaments and contributed to the team’s midfield strength.
Her departure marks the end of a successful chapter in Portugal, with Ucheibe now set to begin a new phase in her career after leaving behind a record of consistency, silverware, and memorable contributions to Benfica’s rise in women’s football.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
