Flamingos captain, Harmony Chidi, has disclosed that her mother wanted her to get married rather than pursue a career in football after the early death of her father.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The 17-year-old revealed that her grandmother, however, supported her ambition and encouraged her to continue playing football despite her mother’s opposition.
Chidi, who recently captained Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team to a historic FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup victory in Morocco, shared her experience during an interview with BBC Pidgin.
According to the young footballer, her grandmother played a significant role in keeping her football dream alive, although she has since passed away.
She said, “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.”
The Bayelsa Queens striker also acknowledged the contribution of her foster father, Prince Chidi, whom she credited with helping her overcome challenges and providing the support she needed to pursue her ambition.
Prince Chidi, who owns her grassroots club, Imo Strikers, reportedly encouraged her to remain focused on achieving her football dreams.
Chidi said, “It wasn’t easy until I met my foster father, Prince Chidi. He is the owner of my grassroots team, Imo Strikers, and he encourages me, making sure that I achieve my dream.”
The teenager also recounted how a serious injury nearly brought her football career to an end and prevented her from representing Nigeria at the previous edition of the U-17 Women’s World Cup.
She described the injury as the toughest period of her career, revealing that some of her friends abandoned her while she struggled to recover.
“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 said.
However, Chidi eventually recovered and returned to the pitch, leading Nigeria to its first-ever title in the competition.
The Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final in Morocco to become the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Despite the historic achievement, the young captain said she remains determined to reach greater heights in her football career.
She listed Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Raphinha and Nigerian women’s football star Asisat Oshoala among the players she admires and hopes 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.
