‘From nothing to winning’: Jennifer Echegini speaks on meteoric rise ahead of PSG clash with Lyon

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Nigeria forward, Jennifer Echegini has described moving from the United States of America (USA), Italy, and now France with PSG as a meteoric rise.

The Netherlands-born player joined PSG from Juventus in a contract until 2027, scoring three goals with an assist in the French women’s top-flight league.

After leaving her birth country for England, the 23-year-old joined Mississippi State in 2019 and wore the Bulldogs jersey for two years.

From Mississippi, she was drafted by Florida State University (FSU), where she won the University Championship, scoring two goals for the Seminoles in the final 2-1 win over Clemson in 2023.

“In two years, I went from nothing to winning the title of best American prospect. It was like a fairy tale,” she told L’équipe.

After winning the University Championship and MAC Herman Trophy, Italy was the next destination with Juventus where she scored 10 goals in the Serie A after 14 games before switching to PSG.

León, Guanajuato, 15 de febrero de 2023. , durante el partido de la Women’s Revelations Cup 2023 entre la Selección Nacional de México Femenil y la Selección Femenil de Nigeria, realizado en el Estadio León. Foto: Imago7/Ramón Balandrán

PSG occupy the second place in the French women’s top flight, five points behind their next opponents and record European champions, Lyon, a team they face on Saturday.

At the international level, Echegini came off the bench thrice for Nigeria at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

She has risen to prominence with the Super Falcons, scoring the team’s lone goal against Japan at the women’s football tournament of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

“When I was little, we went there [Nigeria] every year as a family until I was 11,” She continued.

“My parents speak to each other in the local dialect; they made us eat jollof rice. We go to the Nigerian Christian church.

“As an adult, I only go with the national team. I wasn’t born there, so I always discover a lot of things when I am there. It’s an interesting culture.”

Echegini is expected to play pivotal roles for PSG and Super Falcons in their diverse quests.

While PSG hopes to upstage Lyon in their quest to win the league title, Super Falcons dream to win their 10th African title this year in Morocco at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).