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Onome Ebi: Nigeria defender reflects on trailblazing career
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatude
When Ngeria senior women’s national team defender, Onome Ebi replaced Toni Payne in the 90th minute of the Super Falcons’ 3-2 win over the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-host, Australia, she made her sixth appearance at the tournament.
She has previously participated at the 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019 Women’s World Cups before this year’s appearance.
The feat made her the first African player, man or woman to make it to the sixth consecutive World Cup. No African player has made it to more than four World Cups.
“When I was in school, I would sneak out to go play football,” Ebi said in an interview with FIFA.
“There was a competition that I was supposed to go to, and my Dad said ‘No, you’re not going, I’m not supporting you.’ I felt sick.
“When I went to the hospital, I was there for four days. The doctor called my parents and told them something is wrong with me, [and said] they should talk to me. My Dad just understood that it’s because of football. He came to me in the hospital and told me ‘Okay, I will let you play.'”
The 40-year-old defender is only joint second in terms of FIFA Women’s World Cup appearances to Brazilian Formiga who is making her seventh appearance at the 2023 tournament.
Other players with six FIFA Women’s World Cup appearances like Ebi include Homare Sawa (Japan), Marta (Brazil), and Christine Sinclair (Canada).
Tochukwu Oluehi, Desire Oparanozie, Faith Michael, Maureen Mmadu, Francisca Ordega, Osinachi Ohale, Perpetua Nkwocha, Precious Dede, Stella Mbachu, Nkiru Okosieme, and Florence Omagbemi have all featured at four FIFA Women’s World Cup as no other African player come close to Ebi’s feat.
