* This player has been in camp before for junior national teams—Football Association of Malawi
* In December 2023 Chioma was bestowed prestigious All-America accolade as best amateur in women football
* All-America accolade is an annual honour that recognises best amateur amateur athlete in the US
By Duncan Mlanjira
Very little is known of a Malawian shining in women football in the USA — probably because of her name, Chioma Okafor, bus she was born from a Malawian mother, Patricia (née Jiya) and Nigerian Ferdinand Okafor.
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A TikTok video clip is circulating following some social media after some members of the public doubted if she is indeed proudly Malawian and on its part, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) also confirms her National identity, saying Chioma has been had attended training camps before for junior national teams.
The confusion on and doubts of her nationality identity also probably comes because when you Google just her name without adding footballer, the Chioma Okafor that is prominent is that of a Nigerian actress and model — who is best known for her roles in Netflix’s movie Aki and Pawpaw, Wale Adenuga Production’s Superstory Monica and Africa Magic’s TV shows Riona and Flatmates.
The Nigerian actress Chioma Okafur
In December, 2023, her exceptional exploits were noticed by United States sports experts and bestowed her with prestigious All-America accolade, which is an annual honour that recognises best amateur amateur athlete in the US who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport.
According to Wikipedia, individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-America team for their sport and some sports will have multiple All-America teams and will list the honorees as members of a first team, second team, or third team.
As such, All-America teams are composed of outstanding US amateur players and individuals falling short of qualifying for the honor may receive All-America honorable mention.
The designation is typically used at the collegiate level, although, beginning in 1957, high school athletes in football began being honored with All-American status, which then carried over to other sports like basketball and cross-country running.
The selection criteria vary by sport — athletes at the high school and college level placed on All-America teams are referred to as All-Americans.
Okafor joins her University of Connecticut (UConn) All-Americans, Rachel Hill (2015) and Steph Ribeiro (2016).
She has been named the NSCAA Third Team All-American after a six-goal, three-assist campaign in 2023 season in which she started all 19 games and led the team in scoring, while her 3.7 shots per game were first in the Big East as well.
UConnhusskies.com reported in December that Chiona started the year hot with four goals in seven games before getting slowed down by an injury. In the Big East tournament quarterfinals against Butler, she notched a brace — including the game-winner in the 89th minute.
In an interview with Megan Lester of UConnhusskies.com in 2022, Chioma said playing Division 1 college soccer was a dream, but never one she thought would become her reality: “Coming from Malawi, this is more than I could have ever imagined.”
She further told Lester that because of limited resources and soccer exposure in Malawi, she had little to no plans to move her life and soccer career to the States — until an opportunity arose in 2019 with the Berkshire School in Massachusetts.
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The report further says after helping turn the Berkshire Girls’ Soccer team around in her first season and then having breakout junior and senior years leading her team to the playoffs, many colleges and universities became extremely interested in recruiting Chioma to help their program in the same way.
But for Chioma, UConn was always the front runner: “I knew at UConn, I would be the best version of myself,” Chioma told Lester, adding that it was important to her that not only did she fit the culture of the program she was a part of, but also that her vision for herself aligned with the staff’s vision for her.
The all-female coaching staff of the women’s soccer team was a standout for Okafor, as well as the number of great female athletes and coaches throughout the University.
“Not only are the facilities top notch, but the standard carried throughout UConn Athletics is superior, and I knew I had to be a part of that winning-culture,” said Chioma.
“Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with little opportunities and many people live in poverty. So to be able to be recruited by and attend a university as prestigious as UConn, it’s been more than an honor,” she was quoted as saying.
Lester reports that the journey to the US has not been an easy road for Chioma — though her game has remained the same, all of the factors of everyday living are beyond different then they are in Malawi.
“The US moves at a much faster pace of life, and the cost of living is far more expensive,” Lester quotes Chioma. “I have to put in a lot of additional work outside of soccer to be able to support myself here.”
The report adds that all of the work Chioma has put in during her first season at UConn is already paying off, being recognized on the All-Big EAST Second Team and All-Big East Freshman Team.
Lester writes: “Coming from the Berkshire School, where she was one of the top players on the team, Chioma’s goal coming to UConn was not only to record a winning season, but for her to set a foundation for herself that she could live up to the next 4 years.
“Chioma did just that as she ended the season on a high note, recording goals in back-to-back games with her first career hat trick against Seton Hall and first career postseason goal against St. John’s.
“She hopes to carry this high-level of play into the 2023 season and pick up right where she left off.
“Because her role at the Berkshire School was always to be a ‘scorer’, another one of Chioma’s main goals was to transition into a more well-rounded player and improve her defensive skills.”
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Chioma herself said: “During my first meetings with the coaching staff, they wanted me to have a defense-first mentality. The emphasis on defense was the biggest area of growth on the field for me this year.
“Though it is important for me to grow my game individually, I hope that I continue to grow into the best teammate and competitor that I can be.”
In her reflection of the 2022 season has come to an end, Chioma told Lester that she just constantly remind herself of the power of working hard and “though it is often a cliche, without hard work and persistence to achieve her goals, Chioma would not be here at UConn, or likely even playing soccer in America”.
“She works hard day in and day out to proudly represent the people back home in Malawi, and hopes to inspire many others that no matter the circumstances, you can achieve greatness.”
Lester concludes by quoting Chioma: “I hope that young players, and especially those back in Malawi, can see that if you’re doing what you love, hard work won’t be hard to do. I hope they are all able to see their dreams through like I have.”
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