Onome Ebi Reveals Her Secret To Playing For Super Eagles Till 40

Onome Ebi is the first female footballer to play in six different FIFA World Cups in the history of the tournament after participating in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Onome Ebi who has been playing for the Super Falcons of Nigeria since 2003 is still an active member of the squad even at 40 years old.

The Nigerian Centre-back has played across the world in terms of her club career, especially in Sweden, Turkey, and China.

After a spell in the Spanish women’s league, Onome Ebi decided to return to Nigeria to play for a newly formed Nigerian women’s football club, Naija Ratels based in Abuja.

After joining the club earlier this month, Onome said, “My joining Naija Ratels is beyond playing football. It’s about inspiring young upcoming female players from the grassroots to think and believe that if they dare like I did, they can make history like I did in a climate where in most cases a woman have to work twice as much as a man would to achieve success.”

In an interview with Punch, the veteran defender revealed that some of her secrets to longevity in football are her sleeping habits and her love for constant training.

She said, “I will say first of all, I like training, I like to sleep a lot because I feel when I sleep, I get back my strength. I have some things I take, which I will reveal later so it can help people stay active and fit as well. Also, I try to mind my business because I know there are so many negative things out there. You need to stay healthy and fit to still be active at 40.”

On how long she plans to keep playing football, Onome Ebi added,
“I just follow my body and I follow my strength every day and every second. The day I feel that ‘Oh, Onome, it’s time, it’s getting to that point’, I will definitely tell myself it’s time.

“For now, I am just enjoying every moment and being disciplined in what I eat, what I do, how I feel, and how I react, that’s just it. I can’t say I will retire at any particular time, but when the need comes, when I feel it, I will definitely answer my body.”