CAF Hails Desire Oparanozie After Retiring At 29

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has hailed Desire Oparanozie who recently retired from professional football at the age of 29.

Even though Desire Oparanozie is just 29 years old, she is a Super Falcons of Nigeria veteran as she has won four Women’s African Cup of Nations and has represented Nigeria in four Women’s World Cups.

She decided to retire from both club and national team football on Wednesday, September 13, over a month after representing Nigeria at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. She played mostly from the bench as the Super Falcons crashed out of the tournament in the round of 16 stage.

Before she retired, Oparanozie made 35 appearances for the Super Falcons in which she scored 22 goals.

The forward represented Nigeria in youth competitions at the Under-17 and Under-20 levels. In 2010, she scored twice to assist the Falconets to reach the Under-20 Women’s World Cup final; however, they were defeated 2-0 by the German team.

In 2012, she scored three goals during the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan as she helped the squad in advancing to the semifinals.

Desire Oparanozie won the Golden Boots in the 2014 Women’s African Cup of Nations. But her worst moment in the colours of Nigeria was losing one of the spot-kicks that ended Super Falcons’s journey at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. 

A day after announcing her retirement from the game, the governing body of African football, took to their verified X page on Thursday, September 14, to wish her well in her future endeavours.

CAF posted, “It’s been an honour. An outstanding professional football career path has come to an end for the amazing Desire Oparanozie.

“What a journey!”