The Number 9 situation in Nigeria’s Super Falcons is already indicating that a new era is here, and Chinwendu Ihezuo is the name being bandied about. The current question is whose era will emerge, considering the limited options available for the Super Falcons in the number 9 position and the challenges in filling Desire Oparanozie’s role since her retirement from the national team. The era of Ifeoma Onumonu also had its moments before concluding with a WAFCON title win. In 2025, at the age of 31, Onumonu decided to retire from the game.
Around that time, during the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Chinwendu Ihezuo was appointed as the Falcons’ first-choice centre forward under Justin Madugu, where she performed admirably, scoring three goals at the continental showpiece. In this piece, Completesports.com‘s ALLI FESOMADE examines the latest data to answer whether Chinwendu Ihezuo could own the role and be the long-term fix or if other alternatives might offer a different path forward.
The recently obtained Chinwendu Ihezuo scouting report from the 2025/26 Liga MX Femenil season paints a picture of a reliable, if not spectacular, penalty-box specialist. She has played over 1700 minutes across 26 matches, starting 22 of those games. Ihezuo also has nine goal contributions this season (8 goals, 1 assist).
Aerial Strength, Pressing And Oparanozie Comparisons
Data from the report shows that Ihezuo wins more attacking aerials than the average forward in the Mexican league and that she is specifically good at winning these aerial duels inside the opposition’s penalty area. This attribute is a direct echo of prime Oparanozie’s role in her days with the Super Falcons. Ihezuo’s numbers outrightly position her as a poacher who poses a serious aerial threat and is also very good at pressing the opposition.
Another place where Ihezuo might remind you of Oparanozie is in her ability to keep the ball. Ihezuo rarely loses the ball when she gets it, and she is not easily outmuscled either. Where she, however, differs from the legend is in her hold-up play. Ihezuo struggles significantly when under pressure. The data report puts her ball retention metrics when under pressure below average across the central and right-side zones. In layman’s terms, that means she cannot yet pin opponents the way Oparanozie did but she still has time to build up this stat.
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Across the limited centre forward options available to the Super Falcons, Chinwendu Ihezuo offers more defensive intensity. Her pressing stats are standard but also high-volume, and her defensive intensity peaks in the attacking left half-space. This supports the claim that Ihezuo can start, mount and sustain team presses. We explained some football analytics metrics in our previous articles.
Chinwendu Ihezuo’s Role As A Pure Penalty-Box Finisher
Let’s talk about other parts of Ihezuo’s game. Ihezuo’s involvement in passages of play is poor, judging by her touches per 90, and she is average when it comes to creating chances for others (xGCreated). This is not an immediate red flag but it requires some context. Ihezuo manly operates as a terminal finisher. When the balls go in the box, she is the person whose business is expected to be on the end of them, finishing up chances.
Ihezuo’s profile and style of play currently portray someone who excels at dropping down to join passages of play or create spaces for others to run into. This is also not unusual given that she is surrounded wholesomely by those capable of sufficiently feeding her balls. A good note to add here is that this part is not missing from her game but the numbers are just not significant yet. Think Haaland, think Osimhen and you may just get the right picture of her kind of player.
When considering just how much threat Ihezuo poses by virtue of her ball progression, she poses a balanced threat in the opposition penalty area and the central attacking zones. In those regions, Ihezuo has demonstrated the ability to carry the ball with some effectiveness. However, her struggles become evident on the wings and in defensive areas, indicating that her best contributions mostly come whenever she operates centrally or plays in more attacking positions.
The Finishing Paradox In Chinwendu Ihezuo’s Game
There is, however, a strange paradox to Ihezuo’s finishing. Her finishing is solid and she is particularly capable of putting her shots on target. Her goal-scoring performance and efficiency are typical for a striker in her position. Chinwendu Veronica Ihezuo has showcased her exceptional finishing ability from the golden zone this season. When compared to her other strikers in the Mexican league, she is more reliable and stands out when it comes to shooting from that area. For clarity, the golden zone in this case refers to the region just in front of the six-yard box.
The paradox becomes clear when you zoom out a bit. Despite being good from the golden zone, she misfires from other regions within the penalty area, and her finishing in the six-yard box has been particularly disappointing. Ihezuo has often failed to capitalise on crucial close-range opportunities, and she performs below average when attempting to score from outside the box. As strengthened by data, this paradox forms the core of our discussion in this article. One thing we must also understand here is that Chinwendu Ihezuo is traditionally expected to be at the peak of her powers right now. For decades, the Super Falcons’ attacking identity was largely influenced by some distinct profiles. At the peak of their powers, they were the talking point of every main event.
An instinctive Desire Oparanozie and Asisat Oshoala, with her electric mobility, were the last set of forwards to embody the aura around the game that Nigerians have known to love and cherish. Ifeoma Onumonu had a quiet profile but stood as a hybrid box-to-box threat following Oparanozie’s retirement from international football.
Also, Oshoala’s minutes have been winding down since the 2023 FIFA World Cup, and she has transitioned to helping the younger generation now. Ifeoma Onumonu officially retired in October 2025 after Nigeria’s record-setting MissionX campaign and it is clear that the path forward needs assessment.
Gift Monday Offers A Different Tactical Profile
Chinwendu Ihezuo’s closest alternative is Gift Monday, who was on the losing end of the numbers game in 2024, causing her to controversially miss out on the WAFCON 2024 MissionX campaign and subsequent friendly matches against Benin Republic. Gift Monday got back with the girls in February during the matches against Cameroon.
Gift Monday presents a fundamentally different profile compared to Chinwendu Ihezuo. Her scouting report from the 2026 campaign for Washington Spirit is based on under 300 minutes of gametime. She has had only one start in nine matches, making one goal contribution. Her heatmap across the season also puts her touches significantly outside the penalty area. Crucially, her limited playing time means, no matter her strengths or weaknesses as observed from the data, her percentile rankings are volatile. Therefore, comparing her directly to Ihezuo, who has played nearly 10 times as many minutes, is statistically unreliable.
Among her observed strengths are poaching, pressing and making quality runs. Like Ihezuo, Monday has also been observed to have weaknesses in hold-up play and providing for her teammates. She does not pose noticeable aerial threat as well. Recall that Gift Monday was splendid in the 2024/25 season, finishing as Washington Spirit’s top scorer with 10 goals in the NWSL. Gift Monday scored a record-setting hat trick against Houston Dash that season and averaged over 60 minutes per game, playing over 1500 minutes in total.
Injury Concerns Add To Super Falcons’ Selection Puzzle
With the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations set to take centre stage after the mundial, it might be understandable if a poorly prepared Super Falcons side is sceptical about inviting her to the tournament. Monday’s data does show her as a deep run specialist with strong penalty-area receptions. She also poses an inconsistent ball-carrying threat and her finishing has been average as well. Gift Monday gets shots on target but does not convert consistently.
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As established earlier, a direct comparison is difficult. This season, Ihezuo has proved she can carry a goalscoring load over a full season, while Gift Monday’s Per-90 (P90) metrics suggest promise, especially considering her elite runs, but it remains unvalidated over extended minutes. Neither is a complete Oparanozie or Oshoala replacement, but together, they offer contrasting qualities for an exciting attacking future in the Super Falcons setup.
To recap, Chinwendu Ihezuo has come a long way from the young lady trying to fit into the Super Falcons squad and while we wait to see if she will own the role, it would appear that the Falcons have a limited number of attacking options upfront. Reports of an injury so devastating it threatens her participation in the upcoming 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) have also emerged in March.
Chinwendu Ihezuo is not the only one with an injury scare ahead of the competition. Esther Okonkwo is also in a race against time after suffering a meniscus tear during a club match in Canada, sidelining her for six weeks. The stakes for this WAFCON edition are particularly high, as a semi-final finish at the tournament is required for qualification to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Super Falcons Face Crucial Decisions Ahead Of WAFCON
It awaits revelation how the technical crew would handle the Number 9 situation. Going forward, they might have to look inward to the NWFL, go with the good old options like Asisat Oshoala, spot new talents abroad, tweak the setup or go to the lower age cadre. But zooming out from all that and in the larger scheme of things, the question is: As you read this, do you think Chinwendu Ihezuo can own the role and be the Super Falcons’ long-term fix for the Number 9 position?
1 Comment
This data analyst lol is bringing this up at a “wrong” time. What’s the age difference between Ihezuo and Oshoala?
This is most likely Ihezuo’s last WAFCON. That is, if the coach still knows an “active” player.
For me oh, only few Nigerian born women can play well as they “approach 30” because of the age talks.
Will Ihezuo be “relevant” in 2031 world cup? That’s only 5 years from now.
Unless for short term purposes, she shouldn’t be relied on to “own the role and be the Super Falcons’ long-term fix for the Number 9 position”