‘I knew I was good’: NSL star Esther Okoronkwo’s dogged pursuit to play the game she loves | CBC Sports
26-year-old is living out the dream she had has a child
Mariam Kourabi· for CBC Sports ·
AFC Toronto’s Esther Okoronkwo, centre, is congratulated by teammates for one of her two goals in a recent 7-0 win over the Vancouver Rise. (CBC Sports)
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When Esther Okoronkwo was five years old, she wasn’t dreaming of World Cups or championship trophies.
She was just trying to keep up with her older brother and his friends in the streets of Abia, Nigeria, begging him for a spot in their games, often ending in tears when she was left out.
What started as a backyard rivalry between siblings quickly became a passion that Okoronkwo couldn’t shake.
So much so, it would carry her from the neighbourhood pitch to the biggest international stage.
At the time, women’s soccer did not look like a career that would provide financial stability to Okoronkwo, nor did she see a path to make it more than an after school kick-around.
“I didn’t think I’d go professional,” the 26-year old player told CBC Sports in an exclusive interview.
“Back then, women’s football wasn’t seen the way it is today. But I knew I was good.”
Though the journey started in Nigeria, it took shape once Okoronkwo moved to Texas as a young teenager with her sister.
There she completed high school and was recruited by Northeast Texas Community College before moving to Lamar University two years later.
WATCH l AFC Toronto routs Rise with 7 goals:
AFC Toronto scores 7 in a rout of Vancouver Rise
September 13
Duration
2:56
Toronto got nice goals from Esther Okoronkwo, Kaylee Hunter and Sarah Stratigakis in the 7-0 victory over Vancouver.
The win was the largest deficit in an NSL game this season.
During the midst of changing schools in 2018, Okoronkwo was recovering from a torn ACL.
“It was bad, and painful,” said Okoronkwo, who now plays for AFC Toronto of the Northern Super League.
“It took me nine to 11 months to fully recover but I wanted to get back.”
Healed up and graduated, the midfielder spent a month training with NWSL’s Houston Dash for a shot at a contract.
At the same time, Nigeria was set to participate in the 2021 WNT Summer Series in Texas.
That’s when Okoronkwo’s chance came.
“Some players flying in from Nigeria had visa issues and could not make it on time and I got the call,” Okoronkwo said.
A handful of minutes into her debut for the Super Falcons — a 1-0 loss to Jamaica — were enough to get a phone call from France, and Okoronkwo signed her first professional contract for Arkema Division 1 side AS Saint-Étienne.
Looking to make a strong run for a chance to be part of the AFCON 2022 Nigerian squad, it all came crashing down after Okoronkwo suffered a second ACL tear, in the other knee, shortly after touching down in France.
“I didn’t even get to enjoy my season because I tore my knee.
It was heartbreaking for me, especially in my first professional season ever,” Okoronkwo said.
“In my head, I’m like, ‘No, I can’t … my professional career can’t be like this.’ So I started working hard and trying to get back on my feet.”
Okoronkwo’s resolve paid off. After months of intense rehab in France, she made an unexpected recovery in just six months, surprising even her doctors.
Okoronkwo with Nigeria’s national team on the way to a championship in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in July. (AFP via Getty Images)
Despite a fast return, it was not fast enough to play her first major tournament with Nigeria, which would go on to place third in the 2022 AFCON.
Though devastated, the forward was convinced, “everything happens for a reason.”
The next year saw Okoronkwo playing briefly in Spain, then moving to China for a better contract and pay. Meanwhile, Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum stayed in touch, continuing to call her up to camps, even while she was still building back minutes and fitness.
“I give all credit to Randy. He was the key factor to me.
He took a huge chance on me, even when I was recovering from a big injury,” Okoronkwo said.
WATCH | Okoronkwo’s goal stands up as winner vs. Tides:
AFC Toronto’s Okoronkwo’s lone goal stands up as the winner over Tides
September 6
Duration
0:47
Esther Okoronkwo scored for AFC Toronto giving the visiting side a 1-0 victory Saturday over Halifax Tides Saturday in NSL action.
“That made me think about the opportunity and how I’m going to take it to do the best I can.
That I’m going to work hard and make sure there’s no second chances.
I didn’t want to have regrets and think I could have done better and I didn’t. That’s what pushed me.”
Indeed, her hard work and belief was rewarded with trips to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2024 Olympics, and the delayed 2024 AFCON in Morocco.
A substitute off the bench for all three group stage games, Okoronkwo was just warming up for the knockout rounds.
A goal and an assist in the quarterfinal were followed up by an assist in the semis.
In the final, against the Moroccan hosts, the Super Falcons found themselves down 2-0 at half time.
“Nah, we’re not going down like this because we know we can come back, and we know we can do so much better,” Okoronkwo remembers telling her team in the locker room in between halves. “We know we can beat them.
We’re ranked No. 1 in Africa for a reason. We’re not losing.”
“In my head I was thinking, I am not going to lose my first major final.”
Okoronkwo in the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. (Getty Images)
In one of Nigeria’s greatest comebacks, Okoronkwo played the role of hero — scoring a goal and delivering two assists to seal the win.
She was named Finals MVP and lit up social media, but her focus remained on the next generation.
“We’re teaching the younger generation not to give up and to have a fighting spirit.
Whatever you want, you gotta work hard for,” she said.
“You want to win the AFCON? You have to work hard for it. Being able to inspire the younger generations means a lot to me.”
Okoronkwo is also excelling at club level with AFC Toronto in the NSL, a move she was keen to make after being so far away from her family in Texas.
She was also excited to be in a place that spoke English.
“I think this league is also going to be one of the best in women’s football very soon,” Okoronkwo said.
“There’s quality in players, in treatment and overall professionalism that has helped my game improve.”
And while the Toronto winters might be brutal, in fact “the worst,” she said with a laugh, Okoronkwo remains focused on silverware, growth, and the legacy she’s building for the shirt she wears.
