Esther Okoronkwo Extends Her AFC Toronto Deal Through 2027

Super Falcons forward Esther Okoronkwo has extended her contract with Canadian club AFC Toronto, keeping her at the Northern Super League side through the 2027 season.

The 28 year old joined Toronto in February 2025 and has impressed since arriving, prompting the club to secure her future as they build toward continued success.

Okoronkwo enjoyed a productive spell last season, scoring eight goals and providing 11 assists in 20 league appearances for manager Marko Milanović’s team, highlighting her importance to their attacking play.

Toronto’s sporting director, Billy Wilson, expressed delight at Okoronkwo’s commitment, along with other key players who have also agreed to contract extensions.

Her new deal ensures the forward remains a pivotal figure as AFC Toronto looks to build on its achievements and compete for honours in the Northern Super League.

EDITORIAL

In the evolving landscape of women’s club football, where ambition is matched by opportunity, Esther Okoronkwo’s contract extension with AFC Toronto is a telling affirmation of vision and value. More than a simple administrative formality, this renewal represents the alignment of player and club trajectories a symbiosis increasingly rare in an era where talent is often transient, pulled by the gravitational forces of larger leagues and flashier offers.

Okoronkwo’s journey from Spain’s UD Tenerife to the nascent pitches of Canada’s Northern Super League speaks to a modern footballing truth excellence gravitates toward growth, not merely prestige. Her output last season a blend of goals and creative engineering — did not merely fill the stat sheet it reoriented AFC Toronto’s offensive engine, infusing it with a dynamic verve that propelled the side into contention.

The decision to extend her contract through 2027 is as much strategic as it is symbolic. For Toronto, it preserves a nucleus of proven performers around whom longer-term structures can be built for Okoronkwo, it provides a platform not just for personal ascension but for shaping the narrative of a club and league still in its formative chapters. Such continuity is a luxury few clubs at this stage of development can afford, and Toronto’s success in retaining a core contributor should be viewed as indicative of organisational maturity.

This move underscores the broader ascendancy of African talent within global football ecosystems. Okoronkwo’s dual identity as a Super Falcons stalwart and a Premier figure in North American club football speaks to an era where geographic and competitive boundaries are increasingly porous. In securing her services for the seasons ahead, AFC Toronto has not just preserved a player it has safeguarded a story of influence, impact and inspiration.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Okoronkwo was named Player of the Match in Nigeria’s dramatic comeback win over Morocco to win the 2025 WAFCON title, contributing both a goal and two assists in the final.
2. She topped the Northern Super League assist charts in the 2025 season, showcasing her dual threat as both scorer and creator.
3. Okoronkwo scored a playoff hat-trick to send AFC Toronto into the NSL Championship Final in 2025, highlighting her impact in decisive matches.
4. AFC Toronto finished the 2025 regular season as the NSL’s top-scoring team, with Okoronkwo a key contributor to their attack.
5. The Northern Super League is Canada’s new professional women’s football league, aiming to raise the profile of the women’s game in North America and provide more competitive opportunities for international talent.