‘Nigeria catches talents old' - Ebi bemoans lack of opportunities for women's footballers

Samuel Ahmadu

‘Nigeria catches talents old' - Ebi bemoans lack of opportunities for women's footballers image

Nigeria defender Onome Ebi claims the country is only able to identify talented players later in their development due to the lack of grassroots development for women's football.

Ebi became the first African player to play in five Women World Cup tournaments in France last summer, having featured in the 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 editions.

The centre-back started football at a young age on the streets of Lagos and enjoyed her formative years at Omidiran Babes and Bayelsa Queens in Nigeria before moving abroad in 2009.

The veteran, who got warm messages from Fifa, Caf and the NFF on her 37th birthday last week, opened up on the lack of opportunities for women's footballers in the West African nation, particularly in their teens.

“I will say in Nigeria we catch talents old, while other countries catch them young," Ebi said in an Instagram live chat with Nigerian sports radio Brilla FM.

"In other countries that I’ve played, there is plenty of academies and most players moved to national from 15, 16 years of age.

“It’s difficult in Nigeria, no academy, you have to start from the amateur league and that will take years before one gets to a top-level.”

Onome Ebi - Nigeria ps

Ebi featured for Pitea and later Djurgarden in Sweden before she played in Turkey for Duvenciler Lisesispor and Atasehir Belediyespor, where she won the Turkish Women's League twice.

On leaving Turkey, she spent three years in Belarus with FC Minsk, winning the Women’s Premier League, Cup and Super Cup and has been playing for Chinese side Henan Huishang since 2018. 

The 81-capped veteran, who won the African Women’s Cup of Nations four times in six appearances, revealed how she gears up for the 2020 season amid the global health crisis resulting from the Covid-19 outbreak.
 
“We’re still waiting for them [China]. They’re assuring us that they are going to play the league hoping that the coronavirus issue might end before May-June so they will definitely call us back," she added. 

“So we are still waiting but the most important thing is that we are getting paid. So it’s not the fault of the club, it’s not my fault.

“It’s something that could have happened to any country so we just have to sympathise with the country, stay back and do what we have to do to keep fit.”

Samuel Ahmadu