Super Falcons Forward, Desire Ugochi Oparanozie has officially announced her retirement from both international and club football at the age of 29.
In a statement posted on her social media account on Wednesday, she expressed her gratitude to fans, family, and friends for their support throughout her career.
She also extended her appreciation to her teammates, coaches, and opponents who had been part of her incredible football journey, saying, “Thank you all for being part of this incredible journey. Thank you, football. Thank you, Nigeria.”
Oparanozie was part of the Nigerian squad that represented the country at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which took place from July to August.
During her career, Oparanozie had a successful stint in the Chinese Women’s Super League and represented Nigeria’s national team on numerous occasions. Her football journey began with Bayelsa Queens, followed by spells with Delta Queens and Düvenciler Lisesispor.
In 2012, she made a move to Rossiyanka in the Russian Women’s Football Championship, where she had a successful run, even participating in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and scoring a crucial goal. Following that, she joined VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga for the 2013-14 season. She went on to play for Ataşehir Belediyespor, Guingamp, Dijon and most recently Wuhan Jianghan University.