Former Super Falcons captain Onome Ebi has officially retired from football at the age of 42, drawing the curtain on a glittering career that spanned 24 years, Afrosport reports.
The defensive stalwart took to social media to make the announcement on Wednesday, reflecting on a long career “filled with challenges, victories, and lessons”.
“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. Though I hang up my boots, my purpose in the game continues — to give back, to guide, and to be a voice for players,” Ebi wrote on X.
“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. Though I hang up my boots, my purpose in the game continues — to give back, to guide, and to be a voice for players. pic.twitter.com/o0LsnxMnuD
— ONOME EBI (@EBIONOME) September 17, 2025
Ebi took the first step in her iconic professional journey in 2001 with Omidiran Babes before securing a move to Bayelsa United seven years later. She got her big break in 2009, joining Swedish side Pitea before moving to Djurgardens.
She then spent the next three years from 2010-13 in Turkey, followed by a return to Sweden before stints in Belarus, China and Spain, where she donned the colours of Levante Las Planas. The centre-back returned home to finish her career in the Nigeria Women’s Football League with Abia Angels
Ebi made her debut for Nigeria on the international stage in 2003 and earned 109 caps – the most of any player in the country’s history. She rose to stardom in the Super Falcons, playing in six FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments between 2003 and 2023, making her the only African – male or female – to achieve the feat.
She also represented Nigeria at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and played in six editions of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), winning the continental tournament four times, placing her as one of Africa’s greatest female footballers.
