Flamingos captain Harmony Chidi has revealed that her mother initially opposed her dream of becoming a footballer and wanted her to marry after her father died young.
The 17-year-old led Nigeria to a historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. The Flamingos beat Japan 2–1 in Saturday’s final to become the first African team to win the tournament.
But Chidi’s path to the top was far from easy. She said her grandmother encouraged her to pursue football, while her foster father, Prince Chidi, helped keep her ambition alive.
“When I started football, my mother didn’t want me to play. My father died early, so my mother wanted me to get married. It was my grandmother who stood by me and pushed me to play football. Unfortunately, my grandmother is late,” she told BBC Pidgin.
“It wasn’t easy until I met my foster father, Prince Chidi. He is the owner of my grassroots team, Imo Strikers, and he encourages me, making sure that I achieve my dream.”
The Bayelsa Queens striker also revealed that a career-threatening injury nearly derailed her progress and ruled her out of the previous U-17 Women’s World Cup. Chidi described the setback as the most difficult period of her career.
“There is nothing that has been more difficult than my injury. It is an injury that has killed the dream of many players in Nigeria. All my friends deserted me and it was tough. I even thought of an alternative plan,” she said.
Chidi eventually recovered and went on to captain Nigeria to its historic title in Morocco. Now, she has her sights set on even greater success, naming five football stars she hopes to emulate—and surpass.
“I have like five players that I want to be like: Victor Osimhen, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Raphinha and Asisat Oshoala. I want to be greater than them,” she said.
Her role in the Flamingos’ triumph also earned her a share of the presidential reward announced by President Bola Tinubu. At a reception for the team at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, representing the President, announced a ₦100 million Federal Government savings bond for each player, to be preserved for their future.
Head coach Akeem Busari received ₦100 million in cash, while each member of the technical crew was allocated ₦50 million.
