North Carolina Courage head coach Ceri Bowley has praised the qualities Nigeria forward Chioma Okafor will bring to the club following her official signing.
Okafor — a member of Super Falcons’ 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations-winning team — signed a three-year contract with the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side on Wednesday.
Bowley expressed his excitement over securing the 22-year-old attacker, describing her as a perfect fit for the Courage’s playing philosophy.
“We’re excited to welcome Chioma Okafor to the North Carolina Courage. Chioma is a dynamic, fearless attacker whose pace, power, and willingness to take on defenders bring dimensions we’ve been looking to add to our front line,” Bowley said.
The manager also highlighted Okafor’s strong mentality and commitment to continuous growth, noting that her character aligns seamlessly with the club’s evolving culture.
“Beyond her on-field qualities, Chioma brings a competitive edge and a growth mindset that fits the culture we’re building. She works, she listens, and she’s hungry to develop. We’re delighted Chioma is joining the Courage, and we’re looking forward to integrating her into our squad,” he added.
Okafor joins North Carolina Courage after an impressive collegiate career at the University of Connecticut, where she established herself as one of the program’s top attacking talents.
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.
