Chidi also revealed that her biggest ambition is to surpass the achievements of Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Nigeria’s women’s U-17 captain, Harmony Chidi, has revealed some of the difficulties she faced before fame, stating that her mother kicked against her decision to pursue a career in the sport and only wanted her to get married.
The Flamingos forward shared this during media remarks following Nigeria’s historic FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup victory and presidential reception in Abuja on 12 November 2026.
According to Chidi, she was only able to realise her dream because her grandmother, who has since passed away, encouraged her when her mother disapproved of her decision to play football.
“When I started football, my mama didn’t allow me play, she didn’t want me playing football, she wanted me to get married. Only my grandma encouraged me and now my grandma is no more, it’s just me and my mum now,” she said.
She went on to speak about other challenges she faced while trying to establish herself, noting that when she got injured, a lot of her friends abandoned her.
Revealing the hardest parts of her journey, Chidi added, “Nothing hard me pass injury, all my friends leave me, nobody wan associate with me.”
The striker, however, submitted that despite her troubles, she drew inspiration from top footballers, including Victor Osimhen, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Raphinha, and Super Falcons star Asisat Oshoala.
She further revealed her biggest ambition, declaring that she wants to surpass Oshoala’s achievements.
“My dream is to be greater than Asisat Oshoala,” she said.
