‘They see women as TRASH in Nigeria’ — Super Falcons star Ngozi Okobi speaks out ahead of WAFCON 2026

Nigeria women’s football legend Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene has criticised attitudes towards female footballers in her country, saying many players fear that getting married or having children could damage their international careers.

The 32-year-old midfielder, a four-time Women’s Africa Cup of Nations winner, made the comments in an interview with BBC Sport Africa ahead of Nigeria’s title defence at WAFCON 2026 in Morocco.

Okobi-Okeoghene, who returned to the Super Falcons setup after giving birth to her son in 2024, said the pressure placed on female players can influence major personal decisions.

She explained that some of her teammates are afraid that marriage could affect their chances of being selected for the national team.

“They keep making us feel bad about ourselves. Most of the girls are so scared to get married. They feel by the time they get married, they won’t be called to the national team anymore.”

For Okobi-Okeoghene, being a wife and mother should not prevent a woman from continuing to pursue her ambitions.

“Being a soccer player doesn’t stop me from being a wife. It doesn’t stop me from being a career woman, an athlete.”

The veteran midfielder also pointed to the treatment of women on social media, saying the criticism she has seen has only strengthened her determination to continue challenging those attitudes.

“I see so many comments on Instagram, on social media entirely. Those are the comments that keep me going, because they see women like trash in this country — and it’s bad.”

Okobi-Okeoghene credited her husband and family for helping her return to elite football after becoming a mother. She resumed training five months after giving birth and was subsequently recalled to the national-team setup.

She also pointed to her experience in Sweden, where she witnessed stronger support systems for female players, including a teammate who continued training during pregnancy before returning to football.

Although Okobi-Okeoghene was not included in Nigeria’s final squad for WAFCON 2026, she remains an outspoken advocate for greater support and acceptance of women balancing professional sport with family life.

Nigeria, the most successful team in WAFCON history with 10 titles, will face Zambia, Egypt and debutants Malawi in Group C.

The tournament runs from July 26 to August 16, with the top four teams qualifying for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.