Super Falcons Legend Onome Ebi Announces Retirement from Football

Super Falcons icon Onome Ebi has officially announced her retirement from professional football, bringing to a close a career spanning more than two decades. Yohaig NG reports that Ebi, who earned a record 109 caps for Nigeria, shared the news in a post on her X account (formerly Twitter).

Ebi described the decision as a deeply personal moment:

“Today, I officially retire from professional football. The journey has been filled with challenges, victories, and lessons that shaped me into who I am today.” She added that while she may be stepping away from playing, her commitment to the game continues—she plans to guide future generations and serve as an advocate for women’s football across Africa.

Onome Ebi began her career with Omidiran Babes in 2001 and went on to play for Bayelsa Queens before embarking on multiple spells abroad, including stints in Sweden, Turkey, Belarus, China and Spain. She made history as the first African footballer male or female to participate in six FIFA Women’s World Cups (2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023). On the continental stage, she won four Women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles with the Super Falcons in 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2018.

Editorial

The announcement of Onome Ebi’s retirement marks the end of an era for Nigerian women’s football. For those of us who have followed the Super Falcons, Ebi is more than a defender she is an emblem of dedication, resilience, and trailblazing presence in a sport where longevity is rare. Her career is a testament to endurance, adaptability, and leadership at the highest level.

We believe Ebi’s decision to hang up her boots comes not from necessity, but from purpose. From her early days in Nigeria to multiple foreign leagues, and through six World Cups, she has shown that women’s football is not just about talent but about perseverance in the face of change, challenge, and constant evolution. Her presence in every tournament spoke to her ability to stay relevant, motivated, and competitive  qualities younger players must study and emulate.

However, her retirement also nudges us to reflect on the structures around women’s football in Africa. Few players have matched her international longevitynwhy is that? Ebi’s extended career suggests she had the discipline and drive, but others may lack the same support systems, developmental pathways, or institutional backing. Her exit exposes a gap how can Nigerian football ensure that more women are able to sustain long, impactful careers like hers?

Ebi’s own reflection  that the journey shaped her and now gives her a platform to mentor and guide — speaks to her awareness of that gap. She isn’t leaving quietly she is transitioning into a role that could help close those gaps for others. If she succeeds, her legacy may well be measured not only in caps and trophies, but in how she inspires and uplifts the next generation to endure even longer and achieve even more.

We believe that Onome Ebi’s retirement should not be viewed simply as the close of her playing story, but as the opening of a new chapter one where her voice, her leadership, and her influence may yet shape the future of women’s football in Nigeria and across Africa.

Did You Know?

1. Onome Ebi holds the record for most appearances by a female footballer for Nigeria, with 109 caps.
2. She is the only African footballer, male or female, to have competed in six FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments.
3. Ebi’s club journey took her to Sweden (Piteå IF and Djurgårdens IF), Turkey (Lüleburgaz 39 Spor and Ataşehir Belediyespor), Belarus (FC Minsk), China (Henan Jianye), and Spain (Levante Las Planas).
4. She made her Super Falcons debut in 2003 and helped Nigeria lift the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2018.
5. Despite multiple calls for retirement over the years, Ebi previously stated in 2023 that no one could force her to retire she would only do so when she was ready.