Desire Oparanozie reflects over uneasy debut season at Wuhan after Chinese title win

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Nigeria forward, Desire Oparanozie has expressed her delight over her impressive on-field start to life at Wuhan after winning the Chinese Women’s Super League title on her debut season.

The Super Falcons player joined the Chinese outfit from French D1 Arkema outfit, DFCO Dijon in March 2022 and got off to a rough start, contenting with injuries before she eventually hit the ground running.

Reflecting on her debut campaign in China, the 29-year-old shares her struggle with communication challenge and adaption to life in the Asian country after six uninterrupted years in France.

“Life in China hasn’t been easy. It’s a whole lot of different ball game compared to life in France,” Oparanozie told www.nigeriafootball.ng.

“But somehow you know have to navigate through life and you know try to make do what’s obtainable, what’s available and all of that. It’s not bad. Football in China and when it’s football is a universal language.

“You can play it anywhere you know apart from the fact that is far away from home and the culture is different and all of that. I’m navigating through and it hasn’t been easy but it’s worth it.”

On her on-field successes with Wuhan, Oparanozie scored twice in her side’s triumphant league and Cup outings and she opened up on what football life means in China compared to her previous base in France.

“It’s tough. I think playing in France, I wasn’t playing with the top team you know but in China, I got the opportunity to play with one of the best teams there,” she continued.

“Fortunately enough for me, that gave me the opportunity you know to win the FA Cup and the league in my first season. That was a good start for me in China and I’m glad about that.”

The former Delta Queens star, where she won two league title, has risen from the ranks of playing for the U20 national team to being part of the Super Falcons setup since 2010.

She has participated in three FIFA Women’s World Cups in 2011, 2015, and 2019 as well as four Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2018, winning all WAFCON tournaments.

Oparanozie will be hoping to compete at the Women’s World Cup for the fourth time in Australia after missing the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with Nigeria in Morocco due to lockdown restrictions in China.