Perpetua Nkwocha is a household name in the history of Nigerian football. She is unarguably the most talented women’s football player to have emerged from Africa. Nkwocha was head and shoulders above her competitors on the continent at a time when women’s football on the continent was still fighting tooth and nail for breathing space – or, in other words, recognition.
One can argue that Nkwocha was way ahead of her time, and it won’t be out of place. Perpetual Nkwocha had it all as a striker: speed, power, agility, trickery, and sublime finishes. She was technically gifted as he scored all manner of goals from within and outside the box.
As captain of the Super Falcons, Perpetual Nkwocha helped the Super Falcons dominate the continent from 2002 – 2014. Nkwocha also won numerous individual awards, including the Women’s African Footballer of the Year, which she won on four occasions.
Perpetua Nkwocha played as a forward and she represented Nigeria at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Olympic Games, and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and etched her name in anals of history as one of the greatest women’s footballer in recent history.
This post traces Perpetual Nkwocha’s illustrious career, her background, achievements, and current engagements after she retired from football in 2015.
Perpetua Nkwocha Background
Perpetua started playing football at a young age, even though she had other plans. She wanted to either be a Nun, dedicating her life to the service of God, or a Lawyer, fighting for justice and equity. However, she heeded to football’s clarion – a decision she surely didn’t regret.
Being a female footballer, what attracted scouts to Nkwocha was her rare gift – flair, technicality, and composure. Nkwocha wasn’t just about scoring goals; she had great composure on the ball and could put passes into the needle’s eye.
Nkwocha grew up in Nigeria before football took her on a journey away from home that lasted more than a decade. Perpetual Nkwocha is a devout Christian and comes from the Igbo tribe in the Southeast part of Nigeria.
How old is Perpetua Nkwocha?
Perpetua Ijeoma Nkwocha, the former Super Falcons striker, is 49 years old. She was born on January 3rd, 1976.
Perpetua Nkwocha height
The former Super Falcons captain is 5 ft 11 inches tall.
Career
Perpetua Nkwocha played for Swedish club Sunnanå SK, featuring in both the top-flight Damallsvenskan and the second-tier Elitettan from 2007-2014.
In June 2008, the BBC reported that Nkwocha had planned to retire within two years, with ambitions to stay in football as a coach. However, by 2012, she was still going strong, playing in Sweden’s second division.
At 39 years old, ahead of the 2015 season, she made a surprising move, leaving Sunnanå to join fourth-tier side Clemensnäs IF in a player-coach arrangement. Though she had spent part of the previous year coaching boys’ football in Nigeria, she ultimately chose to settle in Sweden after gaining Swedish citizenship.
Perpetua Nkwocha WAFCON dominace
Perpetua Nkwocha had a terrific international career with the Super Falcons, especially at the Africa Cup of Nations. She turned the tournament into her theatre of operation as she appeared in seven editions and led the Super Falcons to five title wins and emerged as top scorer on three occasions.
One of Perpetual’s most iconic performances in the colors of the Super Falcons was at the 2004 edition of the tournament in South Africa. Perpetua Nkwocha delivered arguably the most electrifying individual performance in a final in the history of African football, where she scored four goals in 60 minutes as the Super Falcons tore apart Cameroon to win their sixth title. Nkwocha emerged as the MVP and top scorer with nine goals.
Perpetua Nkwocha, having solidified her legendary status in African women’s football, went on to set a record in the 2011 edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in where she scored 11 goals in the tournament. She scored a hat-trick in the group and knockout stages en route to winning another title with the Super Falcons. Her 11-goal feat in the tournament remains the highest individual tally in a single WAFCON tournament.
Nkwocha represented the Super Falcons at four FIFA World Cup tournaments between 2003 and 2015. She scored Nigeria’s only goal in the 1-0 win over Canada at the 2011 edition in Germany. She also has two goals at the Olympic Games. Nkwocha scored in the Super Falcons’ 3-1 loss to China at the 2000 Sydney Games and against Brazil in Beijing.
Perpetua Nkwocha made her final Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the 2014 edition before hanging up her boots a year later. Of course, the Super Falcons won the tournament with a 2-0 win over Cameroon courtesy of goals from Desire Oparanozie and Asisat Oshoala.
How many goals did Perpetua score?
Perpetua Nkwocha is the Super Falcons’ all-time top scorer with 80 goals in 99 appearances. She also scored 65 goals in 139 matches for her former club side Sunnanå SK.
Career Achievements.
- Nigeria
- African Women’s Championship: 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014
Individual
- African Women’s Footballer of the Year: 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011
- African Women’s Championship Top goalscorer: 2004, 2006, 2010
- IFFHS All-time Africa Women’s Dream Team: 2021.
What does Perpetua Nkwocha do now?
The four-time African Women’s footballer of the Year has since retired from football but works as the coach of Clemensnäs IF in the Swedish Women’s Football Division 2.
Social Media
Perpetual Nkwocha is on Instagram and quite active. She has over 6,000 followers on her page. She recently posted a video celebrating her daughter’s first birthday with a heartfelt note.
See who celebrated her first birthday yesterday wow 16th of march 2024 you came into my live. Happy birthday to my lovely daughter Trinida Chimadikanam Nkwocha my lovely baby my joy giver thanks for coming into my live mummy love you so much.
Is Perpetual Nkwocha married?
Yes, the legendary Super Falcons player, Perpetua Nkwocha, got married to her husband, Ernest Ikechukwu Nwufor, in 2016. See pictures below.
