Nigerian footballer (born 1983)
Onome Ebi[1] (born 8 May 1983) is a Nigerian former professionalfootballer who played as acentre-back for theNigeria women's national team. In 2023, she became the first African footballer, male or female, to play in 6FIFA World Cup tournaments.
She played forBayelsa Queens FC in theNigerian Women's Championship before moving toPiteå IF andDjurgårdens IF inSweden'sDamallsvenskan. Ebi said "I enjoyed my stay in Turkey because of the good weather. Going to Sweden was a different ball game, as the cold weather made it difficult for me to play good football. The amateur nature of the Swedish league made me launch a return to Turkey for Ataşehir Belediyespor FC in the First League."[3]
She then played forTurkish sidesDüvenciler Lisesispor andAtaşehir Belediyespor at the First League.[4] She made herChampions League debut inAugust 2012 while playing for Ataşehir Belediyespor.[5]
Ebi returned to the Swedish Damallsvenskan in 2013 to play forSunnanå SK before going toBelarus to play forFC Minsk in theBelarusian Premier League.[6] While there, she was a member of the team that won theBelarusian Premier League, theBelarusian Women's Cup and the Belarusian Women's Super Cup twice.[3]
In both club and international competitions, Ebi played as the number five in the team due to the significance it holds for her. When she arrived at Minsk, the jersey number was already taken, so she asked for the number 55 instead.[3]
She later played for Chinese second division sideHenan Jianye, where she signed in 2018.
Ebi made a significant move by joining Naija Ratels FC ofAbuja for the upcoming 2023–24Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) season, set to kick off on November 15. The veteran footballer , with a remarkable history of six FIFA Women’s World Cups, was officially introduced at a vibrant ceremony in Abuja by the Naija Ratels management. Despite numerous offers from both local and international clubs following her participation in the2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 40-year-old defender expressed her joy in returning to the local league after more than a decade abroad. Ebi emphasized her deliberate choice of Naija Ratels, citing the club's youthful profile within the league, coupled with impressive organization and discipline.[7]
International career
[edit]Ebi is a former member of theNigerian national team, making her debut in 2003. She currently holds the record for the most caps for Nigeria, making 109 appearances for the Super Falcons.
On 6 July 2019, she became the first African Footballer to play in five[8]Fifa World Cup Tournaments, taking part in the2003,2007,2011 and2015,2019 editions of theFIFA Women's World Cup and the2008 Beijing Olympics.[9][10]
Ebi was also a member of the Nigerian squad in the2008,[11]2010,[12]2012,2014,2016 and2018 editions of theAfrican Women's Championship,[13][14] winning the tournament four times2010,2014)2016 and2018 .[15][16]
On 16 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player Nigerian squad for theFIFA Women's World Cup 2023.[17] By appearing as a substitute in Nigeria's 3–2 victory overAustralia at 40 years and 50 days, she became the first African player, male or female, to play in six world cup tournaments.[18]
In July 2025, she announced her retirement from professional football.[19]
International goals
[edit]- Ataşehir Belediyespor
- Turkish Women's First Football League: 2011–12, 2012–13
- FC Minsk
- Nigeria
Individual
Cameroon
Romania
Thailand
New Zealand