Super Falcons’ Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene says fear of losing Nigeria place puts players off marriage

Many Super Falcons players are putting off marriage because they worry it will cost them their place in the Nigeria national team, according to experienced midfielder Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene.

The 32-year-old, who has won four Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) titles and has 75 caps, told BBC Sport Africa that negative perceptions around married players and mothers are still shaping decisions within the squad as Nigeria prepare for the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco.

Okobi-Okeoghene, a former Levante and Washington Spirit player, argued that her own career shows family life does not have to end a footballer’s international ambitions.

She said attitudes towards women who marry or have children remain a major obstacle for some of her team-mates.

According to Okobi-Okeoghene, those views have created a climate of anxiety among several Super Falcons players, who fear that starting a family might see them overlooked for selection.

She rejected that notion, insisting that being a professional footballer should not prevent any woman from building a family or pursuing other goals away from the pitch.

Marriage, pregnancy and a long road back

Okobi-Okeoghene married her husband, Okeoghene Ahmed, in 2017 and continued to represent Nigeria soon afterwards.

Her career was then interrupted when she had to step away from football because of a high-risk pregnancy, which ruled her out of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

After seven years of marriage, she gave birth to her first child, a son named Nathan, in September 2024 in Canada.

Five months later, in February 2025, she began an intensive fitness programme aimed at regaining full match sharpness and returning to professional action.

By June 2025, she had completed what she describes as a demanding comeback, making her competitive return when she came off the bench in the 83rd minute for Ottawa Rapid FC in Canada’s Northern Super League, only eight months after giving birth.

Return to Super Falcons set-up

Her form in Canada eventually led to a recall to the Super Falcons from head coach Justin Madugu in early 2026 for friendly matches against Cameroon and Senegal.

Okobi-Okeoghene has since been named in Nigeria’s squad for the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco.

The 11-time finalists and record ten-time African champions have been drawn in Group C alongside Malawi, Zambia and Egypt.

Okobi-Okeoghene believes her selection for the tournament underlines her message that marriage and motherhood do not have to mark the end of a player’s international career.

She maintains that female footballers should be able to combine elite sport with family life, without fearing that their personal choices will jeopardise their futures with the national team.