Flamingos captain Chidi shares her journey to football success

Flamingos captain Harmony Chidi has shared how her mother did not support her dream to be a footballer. After her father passed away, her mother wanted her to get married instead, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

At just 17 years old, Chidi led Nigeria to a great victory at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. The Flamingos beat Japan 2-1 in the final, making Nigeria the first African country to win this tournament.

But Chidi’s path to success was not easy. Her grandmother and foster father helped her keep her football dreams alive.

“When I started football, my mother didn’t want me to play. My father died early, so my mother wanted me to get married. It was my grandmother who stood by me and pushed me to play football. Unfortunately, my grandmother is late,” she told BBC Pidgin.

Chidi also mentioned that her journey faced a big setback due to a serious injury. This injury kept her from participating in the last U-17 Women’s World Cup.

She had been part of the team before, but she couldn’t play after getting hurt. Chidi called this injury the hardest time in her football life.

“There is nothing that has been more difficult than my injury. It is an injury that has killed the dream of many players in Nigeria. All my friends deserted me and it was tough. I even thought of an alternative plan,” she explained.

Despite these challenges, Chidi did not give up. She recovered and led Nigeria to its historic win in Morocco.

Even with her success, Chidi aims to achieve even more. She mentioned five famous players she looks up to and wants to surpass.

“I have like five players that I want to be like: Victor Osimhen, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Raphinha and Asisat Oshoala. I want to be greater than them,” she said.

Chidi’s role in the Flamingos’ success has also brought her a reward from the president. President Bola Tinubu announced a reward for the team.

During a reception for the players at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday, the President, through First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, awarded each player a ₦100m Federal Government savings bond. This money will be saved for their future.

The head coach Akeem Busari received ₦100m in cash, while each member of the technical crew got ₦50m.