Chidinma Okeke

Chidinma Okeke
Personal information
Full name Chidinma Nkeruka Okeke
Date of birth (2000-08-11) 11 August 2000 (age 24)[1]
Place of birth Warri, Nigeria
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 América
Number 4
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2019 FC Robo
2019–2021 Madrid CFF 13 (0)
2022–2023 Hapoel Be'er Sheva 26 (6)
2023–2024 MyNavi Sendai 9 (0)
2024– América 13 (1)
International career‡
2016 Nigeria U17 2 (0)
2018 Nigeria U20 4 (0)
2019– Nigeria 13 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 March 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 31 July 2024

Chidinma Nkeruka Okeke (born 11 August 2000) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Liga MX Femenil side Club América and the Nigeria women's national team. She was formerly at FC Robo in the Nigeria Women Premier League, Madrid CFF in Liga F, Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Ligat Nashim and MyNavi Sendai in WE League. She was part of the Nigerian team that won the 2019 WAFU Women's Cup in Ivory Coast.[2]

Career

In 2016, Okeke represented Nigeria women's national U-17 football team at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.[3]

In 2017, she lost to Rasheedat Ajibade in the women's division finals of Nigeria Freestyle Football competition.[4]

In July 2018, she was named by Coach Christopher Danjuma in the final squad-list of Nigeria women's national under-20 football team for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[5]

At the 2019 WAFU Women's Cup, Okeke was on the scoresheet as Nigerian team defeated Niger to qualify for the semi-finals.[6]

She was also included in the Nigerian squad for 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.[7]

In August 2019, she signed for Madrid CFF in Spanish Primera División, and made her first team debut in a win against Real Betis on 8 September 2019.

In October 2023, she signed for MyNavi Sendai.

Club América (2022–present)

On 20 August 2024, the Mexican Ambassador to Nigeria leaked on Twitter that Okeke would be joining Liga MX Femenil side Club América during the 2024 summer transfer window.[8] She was officially announced by América as their new player a few hours later on the same day.[9]

Although Okeke was expected to make her debut with América almost immediately, head coach Ángel Villacampa ruled her out of play time for a few weeks due to poor fitness.[10] Okeke made her league debut with América on 9 September 2024, in an away match against Mazatlán in which she was part of the starting line-up[11] By the end of the Apertura 2024 tournament, Okeke became a regular starter for América.

References

  1. ^ Chidinma Okeke at Soccerway. Retrieved 3 June 2019. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ "Falcons edge Ivory Coast on penalties to win first WAFU Cup". The Cable. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Nigeria names squad for FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup". 1 September 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  4. ^ "McCarthy Obanor, Rasheedat Ajibade emerge Nigeria Freestyle Football Champions". Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  5. ^ "Danjuma picks final squad for FIFA U-20 Women World Cup". Guardian. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  6. ^ Steve, Dede (12 May 2019). "Super Falcons thrash Niger 15–0 to reach semifinals of 2019 WAFU Women's Cup". Pulse. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  7. ^ "Evelyn Nwabuoku and Chidinma Okeke top surprise names on Nigeria's Women's World Cup squad". Goal.com. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  8. ^ "Embajador mexicano 'le come el mandado' al América Femenil y adelanta su nuevo fichaje". Radio Fórmula (in Mexican Spanish). 20 August 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  9. ^ "América Femenil hace oficial el fichaje de la nigeriana Chidinma Okeke para el Apertura 2024 | TUDN Liga MX Femenil | TUDN". www.tudn.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  10. ^ Zaldaña, Álvaro (29 August 2024). "América Femenil no podrá contar con su refuerzo bomba en los próximos partidos del Apertura 2024". ESTO (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  11. ^ "Chidinma Okeke y la promesa que hizo junto al Club América Femenil tras su espectacular debut". Pasión Águila (in Spanish). 10 September 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.