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Every child dreams of playing in the World Cup. Stadium, lights and fans. The world’s biggest stage. All eyes are on you. Many people can dream, but few can make it come true.Utah Royals FC forward Ifeoma Onumonu (Ify) was one of the few players called up to the Australia/New Zealand squad for Nigeria in 2023.
“It was surreal. You never know and you never think it’s going to happen. You obviously want it, but you don’t really know. It’s not really your choice. , ultimately has to be chosen.”
American-born Onumonu made her mark with the US youth national team before choosing to represent Nigeria, but she wasn’t alone. Fifty-three Americans participated in the 2023 World Cup, representing 13 countries other than the United States. Onumonu was joined by three other Americans on the Nigeria national team: Michelle Aloji, Toni Payne and Ewande Balogun.
“It was always a dream of mine to play for the Nigeria national team. I always watched them from afar and when the opportunity arose, I got a call from Randy Waldrum and the team and I was asked to play for the full U.S. national team. I was asked if I had ever played in the United States and it was a “no” so that door never really opened on the American side, but the next chapter, this opportunity with Nigeria, is just as great. I thought it was something. They wanted me on the team and welcomed me with open arms. It was an easy decision because both my parents are from Nigeria. It’s an honor to represent my home country and my parents’ home country. ”
The Super Falcons have qualified for every edition of the tournament since 1991 and remain an African powerhouse with nine AFCON championships. Despite being an overwhelming force in Africa, the Nigerian national team has struggled at the World Cup.
In the latest edition of this cup, Nigeria defeated hosts Australia and recorded draws against Canada and the Republic of Ireland. They reached the round of 16, but ultimately lost in a heartbreaking penalty shootout to England.
“Against England, we had chances to win, especially when they were down to 10 men. I think that hurt the most. It was in our hands and no matter where the game went, we had chances to win. It was funny that at the last moment we lost it. At the same time, I was so proud of myself and so proud of the team for how far we were able to reach. I thought, “That was probably one of the best moments of my life, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”
Despite returning home earlier than he would have liked, Onumonu remains positive about his experience at the 2023 World Cup and the future of the Super Falcons.
“We still have a ways to go, but this is still a good stepping stone from where we’ve come. It’s been so much better than I imagined. I thought it was going to be stressful,” he said. Of course it was stressful, but it didn’t matter because we were just together. Even if I didn’t play a minute, I still would have been happy because seeing the team succeed was that important.”
As one of the veterans in the Utah Royals’ rapidly forming locker room, Onumonu will look to continue the team’s sense of success as the club enrolls through the preseason and the 2024 season/Chicago. All eyes are on URFC’s restart with the home opener against Red. Star on Saturday, March 16th.
Get tickets to this historic game at www.UtahRoyalsFC.com/tickets.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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