Esther Okoronkwo has been voted the Super Falcons’ Fans’ Player of the Tournament at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The announcement, made Tuesday via the team’s official 𝕏 handle, was a resounding endorsement of Esther Okoronkwo’s defining role in Nigeria’s title-winning run in Morocco.
“Presenting your #WAFCON2024 Fans’ Player of the Tournament… Esther Okoronkwo, OON. Clutch. Composed. Crowned by the people,” the Super Falcons official 𝕏 page announced.
The 28-year-old forward’s standout performance came in the high-stakes knockout rounds. Against Zambia in the quarter-finals, she lit up the scoreboard with a goal and two assists in Nigeria’s 5-0 demolition job. But it was the final that sealed his legacy in WAFCON history.
Trailing hosts Morocco in Rabat, Esther Okoronkwo stepped up in the 60th minute to convert a pressure-soaked penalty with ice-cold composure.
Okoronkwo followed that with a clever assist to Folashade Ijamilusi ten minutes later, drawing Nigeria level again at 2-2. Then, in the dying minutes of the game, she delivered a sublime free-kick that found Jennifer Echegini, who headed home the match-winner in the 88th minute.
Her heroics earned her the Player of the Match in the final and sealed her place as a fan favourite.
Unsurprisingly, Okoronkwo emerged as the top pick in a social media poll launched Monday, edging out a shortlist of five teammates, including Echegini, Ashleigh Plumptre, Rasheedat Ajibade, Chinwendu Ihezuo, and Ijamilusi.
While all six played pivotal roles in Nigeria’s unbeaten campaign under coach Justine Madugu, it was Okoronkwo’s decisive touch in key moments that ultimately won the hearts of fans.
Her accolades didn’t stop there. Okoronkwo was also named in the CAF Team of the Tournament, alongside three other Nigerian stars: goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, right-back Michelle Alozie, and captain Rasheedat Ajibade who herself won the official Best Player of the Tournament award.
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