Super Falcons goalkeeper retires from professional football in response to nagging injury

SUPER Falcons goalkeeper Yewande Balogun has retired from professional football at the age of 35 bringing about an end to a remarkable career that saw her represent Nigeria on the international stage.

US-born Balogun, announced her retirement on her official social media channel, citing injury as one of the reasons for her decision. Her journey to professional football was not straightforward as after university, she underwent knee cartilage replacement surgery, which apparently continued to trouble the player throughout her career.

Balogun was given a big break when she was invited to join the Super Falcons for a friendly match against the US, her country of birth in June 2021. This opportunity led to a stint with French Première Ligue side AS Saint Etienne, where she spent two years before being released in 2023.

Breaking the news on her official Instagram handle, Balogun said this retirement marks the end of an unpredictable journey that was filled with highs and lows. Despite facing numerous challenges, she remained determined and took risks to pursue her dreams.

She then went on to express her gratitude for the opportunities she had to represent Nigeria on the international stage and to play in different countries. Balogun also acknowledged the people who supported her throughout her journey, including those who helped make her dreams possible.

"Maybe it's fitting that I never officially announced retirement after university and after having knee cartilage replacement surgery. While it left me with no actual closure from my playing career, it also left open a door to go back to playing and it was so obvious to walk through it when the opportunity presented itself a decade later.

"The journey has been unpredictable with some beautiful highs and some dark lows. Sure, my path could have been different but then so would the story. Now the story is one of belief in God, in myself. One of determination against so many odds. One of taking risks, saying yes and jumping far away from the safety net and into the unknown. A story of being too afraid of regret to even consider failure," Balogun wrote.

During her time with the Super Falcons, Balogun was part of the squad picked by former coach Randy Waldrum to represent the country at the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.  She was the team's third choice goalie at the tournament behind Chiamaka Nnadozie and Tochukwu Oluehi.