Africa's No 1 World Cupper Rules Out Transfer Move Away From Chinese Club

The 36-year-old Nigerian star signed for the club in February 2018 but has now revealed that she will not be seeking new pastures in Europe as the transfer window opens up for business.

"China is super good. I'm still in China and will not being to Europe. I've signed a new contract so will remain at the same team," the experienced Nigerian, who became the first African to play in five World Cup tournaments in 2019, told allnigeriasoccer.com.

The defender who previously played for Belarus's FC Minsk also talked about the failure of the Nigerian women's national side to qualify for this year's Olympics in Tokyo and why a change in the captaincy is not to be blamed for it.

"The change of captaincy has nothing to do with us not qualifying for the Olympics. Maybe a change of coaches contributed because the previous coach Thomas Dennerby knew what he wanted and had worked with the players.

"The change of coaches two weeks to a major qualifiers. It feels bad because we've not qualified for like two Olympics so we focused on qualifying for this year's edition but that's football, you win some, you lose some," Ebi noted.

On why she was not part of the last qualifiers against Cote d' Ivoire, the defender who has starred in five FIFA Women's World Cup said:

"I didn't play because it is qualifiers that the sports ministry and not the NFF oversaw so the foreign based professionals were not obliged to come. I'm still part of the team. I've been asked when I will retire but as  long as I'm still giving value to the team, retirement is not on the agenda for now.

"We had up to six good defenders in the Nigerian league who were good covers for the foreign based players. We have to take care of our league to make it standard," Ebi stressed.

On a lighter note Ebi spoke on why she is still single at 36 (turns 37 in May).

"I don't know about declining the offers of suitors. One has to be careful with such things so I've not seen the right person to get married to," Ebi said with a boisterous laughter.


Izuchukwu Okosi