My mother wanted me to get married – Flamingos captain Chidi - Punch Newspapers
Flamingos captain Harmony Chidi has revealed how her mother initially opposed her ambition to become a footballer and wanted her to get married following the early death of her father, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The 17-year-old led Nigeria to a historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, where the Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final to become the first African nation to win the competition. However, Chidi’s journey to the top was far from straightforward, with her grandmother and foster father playing crucial roles in keeping her football dreams alive. “When I started football, my mother didn’t want me to play. My father died early, so my mother wanted me to get married. It was my grandmother who stood by me and pushed me to play football. Unfortunately, my grandmother is late,” she told BBC Pidgin. “It wasn’t easy until I met my foster father, Prince Chidi. He is the owner of my grassroots team, Imo Strikers, and he encourages me, making sure that I achieve my dream.”Make PUNCH part of your everyday experience.Add us to your Preferred Sources The Bayelsa Queens striker also revealed that her journey was nearly derailed by a career-threatening injury that kept her out of the previous edition of the U-17 Women’s World Cup. Having been part of the squad in the previous cycle, Chidi missed the tournament after suffering the injury, which she described as the most difficult period of her football career. “There is nothing that has been more difficult than my injury. It is an injury that has killed the dream of many players in Nigeria. All my friends deserted me and it was tough. I even thought of an alternative plan,” she recounted. When 112 rings like 419 Flamingos: Nigeria’s beacon of hope amid football gloom Nasarawa youths donate school But the teenager refused to give up, eventually recovering to captain Nigeria to its historic world title in Morocco. Despite her achievements, Chidi has set her sights on reaching even greater heights, naming five established stars she hopes to emulate and surpass. “I have like five players that I want to be like: Victor Osimhen, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Raphinha and Asisat Oshoala. I want to be greater than them,” she said. Her contribution to the Flamingos’ historic triumph has also earned her a share of the presidential reward announced by President Bola Tinubu. At a reception for the team at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday, the President, through First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, awarded each player a ₦100m Federal Government savings bond, with the funds to be preserved for their future. Head coach Akeem Busari was awarded ₦100m in cash, while members of the technical crew were allocated ₦50m each. Abiodun Adewale Abiodun, who reports Sports for PUNCH, covers different tiers of the Nigerian football league, the national teams, as well as cricket, in the last six years
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