RE-BRANDING NIGERIA IN AMERICA:
NIGERIA’S Igbo Lady, CHIOMA UBOGAGU, Most Famous in Orlando City Soccer Club in Florida…British-American Forward plays for National Women’s Soccer League
* Earlier glows as Arsenal Football Club Ladies forward in Britain
*Named the 2010 Gatorade Texas Player of the Year
*Represented United States at the U18, U20 and U23 levels
*Won FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, CONCACAF Women’s U20 Championship in 2012, scoring the championship-winning goal
*Made 21 appearances for Gunners, scoring seven times including goals in both her debut and final matches.
* PLUS how her grandfather Austin Eneuke played as a former Nigeria and Tottenham Hotspur player
BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/FOREIGN BUREAU CHIEF, UNITED STATES
AT 24 YEARS, CHIOMA UBOGAGU, a British-American with a huge Nigerian lineage and heritage has become an Amazon in Orlando City Soccer Club in Floroda, United States where she has been rebranding Nigeria positively by her professionalism, dexterity on soccer pitch, quality lifestyles and scandal-free lifestyles. Her grandfather, Austin Eneuke played as a former Nigeria and Tottenham Hotspur player several years ago. This means, soccer endowment runs in her family.
Most recently this intelligent lady played for Houston Dash, and the United States U-23 women’s national team. Ubagagu played her collegiate soccer for Stanford University, and represented the United States Under-20 team and won the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Presently, Ubogagu becomes the second attacking power obtained by Orlando Pride after been acquired from former Arsenal Ladies forward. Chioma from the Houston Dash has been received as Orlando’s natural third-round pick in the 2018 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) College Draft.
Orlando Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni said: “Chioma is a mobile, skilled player that has tremendous potential and possesses qualities that will be a big asset to our team. With a history of success at Stanford and at the U23 level, we are happy to add another forward with a nose for the goal.”
Ubogagu was born in London, where her parents, mother Tina a nurse and father Aloy a social worker, had moved from Nigeria seeking job opportunities. At age 3, her parents divorced and she moved with her mother and older brother to Coppell, Texas a suburb in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
Orlando Pride
Ubogagu, whose name is pronounced ah-bo-GA-gu, was selected the 28th pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft by Sky Blue FC, but elected to join Arsenal Ladies in her birthplace of London. The forward made 21 appearances for the Gunners, scoring seven times including goals in both her debut and final matches.
She was acquired by the Dash through trade with Sky Blue. She joins the Orlando Pride after one season with Houston, where she scored a goal and an assist in 15 appearances. For the records, prior to her professional career, Ubogagu enjoyed significant success in both the collegiate and international arenas.
After being named the 2010 Gatorade Texas Player of the Year, Ubogagu attended Stanford University and helped lead the Cardinal to the 2011 NCAA Championship as a freshman. A teammate of Pride defender Cami Levin for one season at Stanford, Ubogagu was a four-time All-Pac 12 honoree and also drove the team to the 2012 Women’s College Cup final. The Coppell, Texas, native finished her career with 89 points (27 goals, 35 assists), which currently ranks 10th all-time in Stanford history.
As said, Ubogagu has represented the United States at the U18, U20 and U23 levels where she won both the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup and the CONCACAF Women’s U20 Championship in 2012, scoring the championship-winning goal in the latter. She becomes the second attacking power obtained by the Pride recently.
Season tickets for the 2017 campaign are currently available at orlando-pride.com/tickets or by calling (855) ORL-CITY. A two-game pack, which includes a ticket to the team’s home opener in its new 25,500 stadium, is available at the link here.
HER PROFILE:
Chioma Grace Ubogagu (born September 10, 1992) is a British-born American soccer forward who currently plays for Orlando Pride of National Women’s Soccer League, and most recently played for Houston Dash, and the United States U-23 women’s national team. Ubagagu played her collegiate soccer for Stanford University, and represented the United States Under-20 team and won the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Her grandfather Austin Eneuke is a former Nigeria and Tottenham Hotspur player.
Early LIFE:
Ubogagu was born in London, where her parents, mother Tina a nurse and father Aloy a social worker, had moved from Nigeria seeking job opportunities. At age 3, her parents divorced and she moved with her mother and older brother to Coppell, Texas a suburb in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
Ubogagu led her club team, D’Feeters, to two Texas-North State Cup titles, a U.S. Youth Soccer Association Region II championship and a 2010 third-place U-17 national finish, and led Coppell High School to the 2009 Texas 5A state title. She was also named 2010 Gatorade Texas Player of the Year, all-America three times by ESPN RISE and twice each by the NSCAA and Parade. In addition, she was all All-Area selection by Dallas Morning News, all four years of her high school career.
Ubogagu came to Stanford as the #3-ranked recruit in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. During her freshman year, she won the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2011 and helped the Cardinal win their first Women’s College Cup, making the all-tournament team in the process. Stanford returned to the final in 2012 and to the semifinal in 2014. She finished her college career with 27 goals in 89 total appearances, made the All-Pac-12 team all four seasons, earning first-team honors in 2012 and 2014.
Arsenal Ladies
In January 2015, National Women’s Soccer League’s Sky Blue FC selected Ubogagu with the 28th pick of the 2015 NWSL College Draft, although coach Jim Gabarra acknowledged she was in negotiations with an FA WSL club. In February 2015, Ubogagu signed with Arsenal, the club she’d supported as a child, and her British birth made it easier for her to acquire a United Kingdom work permit. Ubogagu made her professional debut on April 3, 2015, scoring a goal in a 1–1 draw against Notts County.
Houston Dash
According to Wikkipedia, Arsenal released Ubogagu having reached the end of her contract in November 2015. She finished her season with seven goals in 21 appearances. Subsequently, the Houston Dash acquired the rights to Ubogagu from the Sky Blue FC in exchange for picks in the 2016 and 2017 college drafts. The trade gave the Dash an opportunity to sign her before the start of the NWSL season in March 2016. Ubogagu was named NWSL Player of the Week in week 4 of the 2016 season for her one goal and one assist performance to lead Houston to a 2–1 victory over FC Kansas City.
International career
Ubogagu has represented the United States at youth levels, including U-18, U-20, and U-23 teams. With the U-20, she won the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, appearing in all six games and scoring once, and the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, where she scored the winning goal in the final, and scored six goals in a stretch of eight games at one point in 2012.
Due to her parents and her place of birth, Ubogagu is eligible to represent Nigeria, England, or the United States at the senior level. She became an Arsenal fan watching the North London derby, despite her father urging her to support Tottenham.
Her name Chioma means “Good God” in the Igbo language, spoken primarily by the Igbo people in southeastern Nigeria.
Position: Forward
Height: 5-7
Born: October 10, 1992 in London, England
Hometown: Coppell, Tex.
Citizenship: USA
College: Stanford University
Acquired: via trade with Houston Dash on January 23, 2017
CLUB
2017: Acquired by the Pride on Jan. 23 in a trade with Houston … 2016: Made 15 appearances for the Dash … Started nine games … Voted NWSL Week 4 Player of the Week after scoring a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win at Houston … 2015: Selected with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft by Sky Blue FC … Elected to forgo the 2015 NWSL season and signed with Arsenal Ladies in her birthplace of London … Made her debut with Arsenal on April 3 … Made 21 total appearances for the Gunners, scoring seven times … Had her NWSL rights traded to Houston on Nov. 25 …
INTERNATIONAL
2015: Led the U.S. U23 Women’s National Team to the Four Nations Tournament championship … Scored two goals in the U23s 2-2 draw with Norway on May 29 … 2014: A member of the U23 WNT … Won the Six Nations Tournament in La Manga, Spain … Scored a goal in the tournament’s second match, a 2-1 win over Sweden on Mar. 3 … 2013: Called into training camps with the U.S. U23 Women’s National Team in April and December … 2012: A member of the 2012 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup championship roster … Appeared in all six matches of the World Cup, scoring once … Scored the game-winning goal of the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s U20 Championship …
COLLEGE
Ubogagu graduated from Stanford University … 2014: Started all 25 matches of the season … Finished second on the team with 27 points (10 goals, seven assists) … Reached the NCAA Final Four, falling to UNC in double overtime … Earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors … Named to the All-Pacific Region First Team … 2013: Appeared in 20 matches, starting in 19 … Scored two goals and added seven assists … Ranked second on the team in points … Named an All-Pac-12 honorable mention … Led Stanford to the NCAA quarterfinal round … 2012: Missed the first six matches while playing for the winning U.S. team in Japan at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup … Was second on the team in scoring, with 21 points (5 goals, 11 assists) … Named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Season Third Team … An NSCAA All-Pacific Region second team choice …Named to the All-Pac-12 first team … 2011: Pac-12 Freshman of the Year … Soccer America All-Freshman first team … NSCAA All-Pacific Region second team … All-Pac-12 second team … NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team … Pac-12 All-Freshman Team … No. 3 in Top Drawer Soccer’s Freshmen Top 100 rankings
