Esther Okoronkwo

Esther Okoronkwo
Okoronkwo in 2025
Personal information
Full name Ijeoma Esther Okoronkwo[1]
Date of birth (1997-03-27) 27 March 1997[2]
Place of birth Abia State, Nigeria
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[3]
Position(s) Forward[3]
Team information
Current team
 AFC Toronto
Number 23
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 Northeast Texas Eagles ? (28)
2018–2021 Lamar Lady Cardinals 39 (35)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2023 Saint-Étienne 27 (7)
2023–2024 UD Tenerife 10 (2)
2024–2025 Changchun Dazhong Zhuoyue
2025– AFC Toronto 10 (4)
International career‡
2021– Nigeria 23 (9)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15 July 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 26 July 2025

Ijeoma Esther Okoronkwo OON (born 27 March 1997) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Canadian Northern Super League club AFC Toronto and the Nigeria women's national team.

Early life

Okoronkwo was born in Abia State and raised in Richmond, Texas, United States.[3]

College career

Okoronkwo has attended the John and Randolph Foster High School, the Northeast Texas Community College and the Lamar University.[4][3]

Club career

In June 2023, Okoronkwo joined Spanish Liga F club UD Tenerife.[5]

In February 2025, Okoronkwo signed with at Northern Super League club AFC Toronto.[6] On 1 May 2025, she scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over Calgary Wild FC, to help the club earn their first win in club history.[7]

International career

Okoronkwo made her senior debut for Nigeria on 10 June 2021 as a 43rd-minute substitution in a 0–1 friendly loss to Jamaica.[8]

On 23 February 2022, she scored her first goal against Ivory Coast in a 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualification match in Ivory Coast, after receiving a pass from Michelle Alozie. The goal gave Nigeria a 1-0 away victory over the Ivory Coast and ensured qualification for the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-0 aggregate scoreline.

On 16 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player Nigerian squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.[9]

Okoronkwo was called up to the Nigeria squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[10]

At the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Okoronkwo emerged as the talisman for the Super Falcons. During the quarter finals, she scored once and created two assists in the 5-0 demolition of Zambia to advance the Falcons to the semi final.[11] At the final match played on July 26, 2025 versus Morocco (in Rabat, Morocco), Okoronkwo repeated her antics, powering the team to a come from behind 3-2 victory where she converted a 60th minute penalty kick, set up Folashade Ijamilusi for a goal at 70th minute and threaded a perfectly weighted free-kick to Jennifer Echegini who scored at the 88th minute. [12]

International goals

No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 23 February 2022 Stade Robert Champroux, Abidjan, Ivory Coast  Ivory Coast 1–0 1–0 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualification
2. 21 February 2023 Estadio León, León, Mexico  Costa Rica 1–0 1–0 2023 Women's Revelations Cup
3. 7 April 2023 Marden Sports Complex, Alanya, Turkey  Haiti 1–0 2–1 Friendly
4. 30 November 2023 Onikan Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria  Cape Verde 4–0 5–0 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualification
5. 5–0
6. 5 December 2023 Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, Praia, Cape Verde  Cape Verde 1–1 2–1
7. 26 February 2024 Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, Nigeria  Cameroon 1–0 1–0 2024 CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
8. 18 July 2025 Larbi Zaouli Stadium, Casablanca, Morocco  Zambia 2−0 5−0 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations
9. 26 July 2025 Olympic Stadium, Rabat, Morocco  Morocco 1−2 3−2

Honours

Nigeria

References

  1. ^ "USWNT vs. Nigeria score: Goals from Christen Press and Lynn Williams seal three-game Summer Series sweep". 17 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  2. ^ Esther Okoronkwo at Soccerway. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Esther Okoronkwo - 2020 - Women's Soccer". Lamar University Athletics. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Esther Okoronkwo - 2016 - Women's Soccer". Northeast Texas Community College Athletics. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  5. ^ "La UDG Tenerife ficha a Esther Okoronkwo" [UDG Tenerife signs Esther Okoronkwo] (in Spanish). Liga F. 1 June 2023.
  6. ^ "AFC Toronto Signs Nigerian International Esther Okoronkwo". www.afctoronto.ca.
  7. ^ "Okoronkwo's brace leads AFC Toronto past Calgary Wild for 1st NSL victory". CBC Sports. 1 May 2025.
  8. ^ "Match Report of Jamaica vs Nigeria - 2021-06-10 - FIFA Friendlies - Women". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  9. ^ Ryan Dabbs (14 June 2023). "Nigeria Women's World Cup 2023 squad: most recent call ups". fourfourtwo.com. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Paris 2024 Olympics: Waldrum picks Ajibade, Nnadozie, Oshoala, 15 others". thenff.com. Nigeria Football Federation. 3 July 2024.
  11. ^ https://www.pulsesports.ng/football/story/nigeria-5-0-zambia-five-star-super-falcons-run-riot-melt-copper-girls-to-reach-wafcon-semis-2025071817562360227
  12. ^ https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/2024-womens-afcon-nigeria-stages-223000533.html
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