‘Our national girlfriend’ — Super Falcons star Michelle Alozie leaves fans in awe after unveiling new shirt number

Super Falcons star Michelle Alozie has officially begun a new chapter in her career after joining Chicago Stars FC (formerly Chicago Red Stars) in December 2025.

The club acquired the 28-year-old Nigeria international from the Houston Dash in a deal involving $40,000 in allocation money.

Alozie signed a three-year contract, committing her to the NWSL side through the 2028 season.

The move ends a successful five-year stint in Houston, where she progressed from an undrafted trialist to a consistent starter and key contributor on the backline.

In Chicago, Alozie has switched to jersey number 5, a notable change from the No. 22 she wore in her last season with the Dash and continues to wear for the Super Falcons.

She announced the new number creatively on social media with a simple yet clever post: “+234(5)”.

The caption cleverly merges Nigeria’s international calling code (+234) with her fresh squad number, blending national pride with her club transition.

Accompanied by a photo of her modeling the Chicago Stars kit, including the Nigerian flag prominently featured, Alozie captioned it in a way that resonated instantly with fans.

The announcement ignited a wave of excitement and playful banter across social media, particularly on X, where Alozie’s post drew widespread affection from Nigerian supporters and beyond.

Fans affectionately referred to her as “our national girlfriend” a longstanding nickname highlighting her charm, personality, and appeal beyond the pitch.

Humor also took center stage in the reactions. One viral reply joked, “women’s football is crazy, why is a 10 playing as a 5,” sparking a lively thread of comments.

The quip referenced positional numbers: No. 5 typically for defenders like Alozie, and No. 10 for creative attackers, but many fans clarified the misunderstanding.

Calling her a “10” was never about her position. Instead, it’s fan slang for rating her a “perfect 10” in terms of looks, personality, and overall vibe.

Alozie's comments was also flooded with a slew of male social media users confessing their crush on the beautiful Super Falcon.

See some reactions below:

Alozie has built a distinguished professional career by balancing elite athletic performance with her work as a cancer research technician.

Her club journey began in earnest after her collegiate years at Yale University and the University of Tennessee, where she overcame a torn ACL to continue her development. After briefly playing for BIIK Kazygurt in Kazakhstan in early 2020, her time there was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading her back to the United States.

In 2021, she joined the Houston Dash as a preseason trialist and eventually earned a full contract in August of that year. Over five seasons with the Dash, she evolved into a versatile and essential player, making 80 appearances and contributing both as a defender and a forward.

In late December 2025, Alozie reached a new milestone in her career when she was traded to Chicago Stars FC, signing a multi-year contract that keeps her with the club through the 2028 season.

She has already made an impact in Chicago, scoring the winner in her first preseason game for the Stars against Danish side against HB Køge earlier this month.

At international level, Alozie has become a cornerstone of the Super Falcons since her debut on June 2021.

Despite being a natural attacker at the club level, she transitioned into a highly effective wing-back for the national team to secure her spot in the squad. She played every minute of Nigeria's 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign, earning widespread praise for her defensive tenacity and helping the team reach the Round of 16.

Her international success continued as she played a pivotal role in Nigeria winning the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), where she famously scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner in the semifinals against South Africa.

Recognized as one of the continent's premier talents, she was named to the CAF Women's Africa Best XI in December 2023 and has represented Nigeria at major global events, including the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and the 2025 WAFCON.