Ebere Orji

Ebere Orji (born 23 December 1992) is a Nigerian international footballer[2] who currently plays for Linköpings in the Swedish Damallsvenskan. She has previously played for multiple clubs in Nigeria, Sweden and Hungary[3] but most notably for Ferencváros in the Hungarian Női NB I and Rivers Angels in her home country in the Nigeria Women Premier League. She has also represented Nigeria at international level as part of the team at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup finals, as well as the Under 20 and Under 17 World Cup.

Ebere Orji
Personal information
Full name Ebere Orji
Date of birth (1992-12-23) 23 December 1992
Place of birth Enugu, Nigeria
Height 166 cm (5 ft 5 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 Linköpings
Number 17
Youth career
2005-2008 Bayelsa Queens[1]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009 Delta Queens
2010-2012 Rivers Angels
2013 Bayelsa Queens
2014 Rivers Angels
2014–2017 Ferencváros
2017 Umeå 8 (5)
2018 Mallbacken 24 (10)
2019 Umeå 26 (11)
2020– Linköpings 11 (5)
National team‡
2008 Nigeria U-17s 3 (1)
2008-2012 Nigeria U-20s 15 (5)
2011 Nigeria 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 28 June 2020

Club career

With Rivers Angels, she once scored a hat-trick against COD United Ladies in a 6–1 win on their way to eventually winning the Federation Cup in 2014.[4][5]

In 2015 with Ferencváros, she won both the Hungarian championship (Női NB I) and the Hungarian Cup. In the 2016–17 season, Orji ended as top goalscorer in the Női NB I with 27 goals.[6]

In 2019 Orji won the Elitettan title with Umeå IK, scoring 11 goals in 26 league games.[7]

International career

At the age of 15, Orji made her international debut[8] for Nigeria women's under-17s in the inaugural U-17 Women's World Cup in 2008 in a 2–1 win against South Korea in the group stage.[9] Orji scored her first international goal for the under-17s in the same tournament in a 2–2 draw with Brazil.,[10] but was "very disappointed" to have been later sent off in the same game.[11] 17 days after being sent off against Brazil, Orji was again representing Nigeria, this time at under-20 level at the 2008 under-20 Women's World Cup. Orji scored on her first appearance for the team in a 1–1 draw with England and then scored twice more as the Falconets were knocked out at the quarter final stage by France in a 2–3 defeat.[12]

"This was my best World Cup experience. To play in the final against the host was a terrific achievement and to come home with a silver medal is something I will cherish forever.[13]"

Two years later, Orji was again called up to the under-20 squad for the 2010 U-20 Women's World Cup and found greater success as part of the team that knocked defending champions USA out in the quarter finals and eventually reached the final of the competition, narrowly losing 2–0 to hosts Germany.[14] Orji was ever-present in the team and scored twice in the tournament, once being the only goal in Nigeria's semi-final victory over Colombia.

Orji made her senior debut for Nigeria in a friendly against Germany, however she was substituted after 29 minutes and Nigeria went on to lose 8–0.[15]

Orji was part of the Nigeria squad that won the 2010 African Women's Championship.[16] She also made appearances at the 2012 African Women's Championship.[17]

Her World Cup debut came at the 2011 Women's World Cup, starting in all three group stage games. Nigeria failed to make it out of the group stage.

In 2012, Orji again represented the under-20's for the 2012 U-20 Women's World Cup, appearing as a late substitute in all of Nigeria's games up until they were knocked out in the semi-final by the USA. Orji totalled 15 games for Nigeria under-20s between 2008 and 2012, scoring 5 goals.

Honours

Club
Delta Queens
Rivers Angels
Ferencváros
  • Női NB I: Winner 2015–16
  • Női NB I: Runner-up 2016–17
  • Nöi Magyar Kupa: Winner 2015–16, 2016–17
Umeå IK

International
Nigeria U-20s
Nigeria

References
  1. "Client". CMG. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  2. "Falcons not scared of Germany – Ebere Orji – Vanguard News". Vanguard News. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  3. "Ebere Orji :: Ebere Orji :: Umea IK". www.playmakerstats.com. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  4. "MERCILESS ANGELS THRASH SORRY C.O.D BABES". newfanzone. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  5. "Rivers Angels Lift FA Cup With Falcons Players – The Newswriter". Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  6. "A Női Labdarúgó Bajnokságok oldala". www.noilabdarugas.hu. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  7. "Players – Elitettan – Sweden – Results, fixtures, tables and news – Soccerway". us.soccerway.com. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  8. "FIFA Tournaments – Players & Coaches – Ebere ORJI". FIFA.com. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  9. "Previous Tournaments". FIFA.com. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  10. "Previous Tournaments". FIFA.com. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  11. "Nigeria stars reflect on U-17 introduction". FIFA.com. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  12. "FIFA U-20 Women's WC Chile 2008 – Matches – Nigeria-France". FIFA.com. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  13. "Nigeria stars reflect on U-17 introduction". FIFA.com. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  14. "FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2010 – News – Germany triumph on home turf – FIFA.com". www.fifa.com.
  15. "Germany – Nigeria 8:0 (Women Friendlies 2010, November)". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  16. (PDF). 28 September 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120928064407/http://www.cafonline.com/userfiles/file/Comp/AWC2010/List_Players_AWC2010.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2019. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. (PDF). 22 February 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130222184107/http://www.cafonline.com/userfiles/file/Comp/AWC2013/List_of_players.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2019. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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