Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team captain, Harmony Chidi, has revealed the family opposition she faced when she began pursuing football, saying her late grandmother was the only relative who supported her ambition.
Speaking in an interview with BBC News Pidgin on Thursday, following the Flamingos’ historic FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup triumph, Chidi disclosed that her mother initially opposed her decision to play football and preferred that she get married instead.
“When I started football, my mama didn’t allow me play, she didn’t want me playing football, she wanted me to get married. Only my grandma encouraged me and now my grandma is no more, it’s just me and my mum now,” she said.
The young captain also opened up about the personal challenges she encountered while building her career, particularly injuries and the loss of friendships.
“Nothing harder injury, all my friends left me, nobody wanted to associate with me,” Chidi added.
Despite the setbacks, the Nigerian youngster said she draws inspiration from some of the biggest names in world football, including Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen, Manchester City forward Erling Haaland, England captain Harry Kane, Barcelona winger Raphinha and Super Falcons legend Asisat Oshoala.
However, Chidi stressed that her ambitions extend beyond simply emulating her idols, revealing her determination to surpass them.
“I have like five players that I dream to be better than: Osimhen, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Raphinha and Asisat Oshoala. I want to be greater than them,” she said.
She particularly singled out Oshoala, whose achievements with the Super Falcons have inspired generations of Nigerian female footballers.
“My dream is to be greater than Asisat Oshoala,” Chidi declared.