Esther Okoronkwo was without doubt the star of the recently concluded Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON), where she lifted the trophy with the rest of her Super Falcons teammates, scoring two goals and assisting six others in just six matches.
But who was she before going on to capture the hearts and minds of all football lovers in Rabat, Morocco?
Early Life and Background
Esther was born in Abia State, in the eastern part of Nigeria, on the 27th of March, 1997. She was, however, raised in Richmond, Texas, in the United State of America. She attended John and Randolph Foster High School. The soccer star then proceeded to the Northeast Texas Community College where she also played football for the Northeast Texas Eagles, the college’s female football team. Subsequently, she attended Lamar University, which also saw her star for the Lamar Lady Cardinals.
It is also worth noting that she is not the daughter of Isaac Okoronkwo, former Super Eagles defender, contrary to recent rumours that emerged in the wake of her WAFCON heroics
Professional Soccer Career
After her college education, the Super falcon’s star first moved to France to join AS Saint-Étienne, where she played a key role in the club’s promotion campaign. Her journey then took her to Granadilla Tenerife in Spain, followed by a stint with Changchun Dazhong Zhuoyue in China. In February, 2025, she returned to North America, signing with AFC Toronto in Canada’s newly launched Northern Super League. It wouldn’t take Esther long to make her mark as she scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Calgary Wild FC, in what was the club’s first-ever victory.
The International Stage
Okoronkwo made her international bow with the Super Falcons in a friendly match against the Reggae Girlz of Jamaica on June 10, 2021, coming on as a 43rd-minute substitute in a match Nigeria lost by one goal to nil. However, she would wait till February of the following year to score her first senior international goal and the match-winner, in a crucial 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ivory Coast. The goal helped secure Nigeria’s qualification for the continental showpiece. Slow but surely, Okoronkwo started to make her mark.
2024 Women’s African Cup of Nations
At the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Esther Okoronkwo didn’t just play — she soared, becoming the heartbeat of a fearless Super Falcons side chasing glory. In the quarter-final against Zambia, she lit up the pitch with a breathtaking display: a goal and two exquisite assists in a resounding 5–0 triumph, ushering Nigeria into the semi-finals with fire in their boots and belief in their hearts.
Her teammate Ashleigh Plumptre, speaking to ESPN, had this to say about her during WAFCON 2024:
You have hold-up strikers and you have strikers running in behind, but Esther can do it all. She holds the ball really well, is very physical, she’s got the speed, and she’s super great, probably the most creative player on our team as well.
“Even though she is very left footed, she still manages to get away with it. You could try to force her onto her right, but she’ll still find a way to do something.”
But it was on July 26, 2025, under the bright lights of Rabat, that her legend was truly written. Facing host nation Morocco in the final, and trailing on enemy soil, Okoronkwo stood tall. She buried a 60th-minute penalty with calm defiance, then carved open Morocco’s defence with a perfectly timed pass for Folashade Ijamilusi’s equalizer. And in the dying moments—when nerves frayed and hope flickered—she delivered a sublime free-kick, landing at the feet of Jennifer Echegini, who tucked home the 88th-minute winner.
It wasn’t just a comeback. It was a coronation. And Esther Okoronkwo wore her crown with grace, grit, and greatness.
In the intervening period between the WAFCON 2022 and her stellar showing at the 2024 edition, She also represented Nigeria at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Summer Olympics.