Desire Ugochi Oparanozie, the Super Falcons' striker, made a significant announcement on Wednesday by declaring her retirement from football at the age of 29. In her statement, she expressed her belief that now is the most suitable time to step away from professional football, both at the club and international levels.

Oparanozie, who shared her decision through a heartfelt post on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter), conveyed her deep gratitude to her fans, family, friends, teammates, and coaches she had the privilege to collaborate and play alongside.

She wrote: “To my fans, family, and friends, thank you for the show of love and support over the years. It’s time to take a bow, as I believe there’s no better time than now. I’m officially announcing my retirement from professional football for both club and country. To every team and coach I have played for, to every mate I’ve played alongside, and to every opponent I have played against, thank you all for being part of this incredible journey. Thank you football, thank you Nigeria.”

It would be recalled that Oparanozie missed her penalty kick in the Super Falcons’ game against the ten-woman Lionesses of England in the round of 16 of the 2023 Women’s World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Reacting to the defeat, Oparanozie via her social media handle apologized to Nigerians for the failed kick during the game.

She wrote: “Sad day! Very disappointing to have lost through penalties, and even more disappointing not to have converted mine. And for this, I deeply apologize.”

Born on 17th December 1993, Oparanozie played as a forward in the Chinese Women’s Super League for Wuhan Jianghan University before announcing her retirement on Wednesday.