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| Perpetual Nkwocha Celebrates |
In the early
80s, when African women hadn’t woken up to
the game, Perpetual Nkwocha was already playing football on the streets of
Lagos as a kid, rubbing shoulders with boys of
her peer group. It was a game meant for boys, but Nkwocha never saw
herself as a girl. She was what I may call ‘Tom boy’ and she loved the game of
football with a passion. Being shuffled and tackled hard by the boys, she began
to develop great football skills and game intelligence. Several years after, Nkwocha has turned out
to be Africa’s greatest woman footballer of all time.
At the peak
of her career in 2004, Nkwocha became the only African woman to be ever listed
in FIFA – XI – bringing the continent’s women football to reckoning for the
first time. In that same year, she set a record, scoring 9 goals in African
Women Football Championship. She won both the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the
Highest Goal Scorer (HGS) award at the championship.
No one who
saw that game will ever forget how Nkwocha stunned everyone, scoring 4 goals
against Cameroon. It was such an extra-ordinary performance that even caught
the interest of the Swedish team – Damailsvenskn club Sunnana SK. Then, she
became the first African woman footballer to sign a real professional contract
worth over $500, 000.
Many
football analysts has described Nkwocha as possessing the combined skills of
Austin Jay-jay Okocha and the ball intelligence of Nwankwo Kanu, two of Nigeria’s
great football stars. She is one player Super Falcons found so difficult to let
go. In spite of her desire to retire, she was often called back to duty again
and again.
Nkwocha’s
national team career spanned for over a decade and half. She played in Africa
women championship from 1999 – 2012; played in FIFA World Cup 2000, 2004 and
2008. She also played at the Olympics in 2003 and 2997. Nkwocha cap 32 times
for Falcons and scored 28 goals. She also cap 54 times for her Swedish team and
scored 32 goals.
Nkwocha won
Africa Women footballer of the year 4 times in 2004, 2005, 2010 and 2011. She
also won MVP award in CAF’s African women championship in 2002, 2004 and 2006.
She is indeed the most decorated woman footballer in Africa.
Nkwocha
deserves to be awarded Nigeria’s highest honor for her unrivaled service and
promotion of the national brand. This may translate to financial benefits, a monthly
life time pension, now that she is retiring. Perpetual Nkwocha is a true
African Ambassador. She should also be included in Africa Hall of fame for great
achievers.
