 Oparanozie playing forAtaşehir Belediyespor in the2013–14 season | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ugochi Desire Oparanozie[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1993-12-17)17 December 1993 (age 31)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Owerri,Nigeria[2] | ||
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| ??–2010 | Bayelsa Queens F.C. | ||
| 2010–2012 | Delta Queens F.C. | ||
| 2011 | →Lüleburgaz 39 Spor (loan) | ||
| 2012–2013 | Rossiyanka | 11 | (2) |
| 2013–2014 | Wolfsburg | 1 | (0) |
| 2014 | Ataşehir Belediyespor | 7 | (6) |
| 2014–2020 | Guingamp | 106 | (45) |
| 2020–2022 | Dijon | 25 | (7) |
| 2022–2023 | Wuhan Jianghan University | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2010–2023 | Nigeria | 49 | (33) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 24 January 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18:08, 17 June 2015 (UTC) | |||
Ugochi Desire Oparanozie// ⓘ (born 17 December 1993) is a former Nigerianfootballer who played as aforward[3][4] and theNigerian national team.
Oparanozie started her career atBayelsa Queens in theNigerian Women's Championship and moved toDelta Queens in 2010. She then spent 2 months on loan atDüvenciler Lisesispor in the Turkish Women's First Football League in 2011, before returning to Delta Queens.[citation needed]
In 2012, she joinedRossiyanka from theRussian Women's Football Championship, playing four matches for them in the2012–13 UEFA Women's Champions League, scoring one goal.[5]
Oparanozie joinedBundesliga clubVfL Wolfsburg for the 2013–14 season, signing a two-year contract.[6][7] In the first half of the season, she only appeared in one game, and mostly played for Wolfsburg's second team. In the winter, after half a season, she left Wolfsburg.[8] On 21 February 2014, Oparanozie transferred toAtaşehir Belediyespor to play the second half of the season in the Turkish Women's First Football League.[9]
For the 2014–15 she joinedGuingamp of the FrenchDivision 1 Féminine,[citation needed] where she was joined by Nigerian international captainEvelyn Nwabuoku during the following season.
Ahead of the 2019–20 season, Oparanozie was named club captain and began her leadership reign well with a win over Metz on the opening day of the season.[10]
On 30 June 2020,Dijon FCO announced that She had signed a 2-year contract.[3][4]
After leaving Guingamp, a bus-stop has been named after Oparanozie in Guingamp by her fans after her long stay at the French football club.[11]
Oparanozie joinedChinese Women's Super League clubWuhan Jianghan University for the 2022 season.[12]
As a junior international she scored 2 goals in the2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and 3 goals in the2012 tournament.[13][14]
Oparanozie has been a regular member of theNigerian national team since 2010, participating in theFIFA Women's World Cup tournaments of2011,2015, and2019.[15][16]
In April 2019, she was named captain ofNigeria by coachThomas Dennerby who praised Oparanozie for her 'discipline and good character'.[17]
Following the2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, in her role as captain, she led calls for equal pay in Nigerian football, citing disparity with the bonuses received by the team's male counterparts.[18]
She has also been part of the Nigerian squads of theAfrican Women's Championship of2010,2014,2016 and2018, winning all four tournaments. She scored crucial goals in both the 2014 and 2016 finals.[19][20]
On 16 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player Nigerian squad for theFIFA Women's World Cup 2023.[21]
Nigeria
Individual
Delta Queens
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