FIFA U-17 WWC: I want to make my late mother proud, says Nigeria’s Effiong

Nigeria’s Peace Effiong has said that she wants to make her late mother proud by helping the Flamingos win the ongoing 2024 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic.

Effiong speaking on Thursday in an interview with the official website of FIFA said her mother supported her all the way to becoming a professional footballer.

The attacker also opened up to FIFA’s World Stars in the Making on the hardships she went through before receiving her dream national team call-up.

When she scored the third goal in Nigeria’s scintillating 4-0 win against Ecuador, Effiong was swept away by a wave of sheer joy as she celebrated her first World Cup goal in a state of pure euphoria but she said she still felt a bit of sadness.

The Super Flamingos striker lives these moments of joy to the fullest because she has recently been going through much tougher times, especially due to the death of her mother.

“I lost my mother last year”, Peace emotionally revealed in an in-depth interview with FIFA.

“My mother has always been my only motivation, she always supported me and she always pushed me to never give up. Whatever happens in my career, it’s because of her. Unfortunately, I lost her before joining the U-17s for the first time for the qualification stage.”

The 14-year-old told FIFA that this terrible ordeal had a profound effect on her but the second youngest player in coach Bankole Olowookere’s squad said she is more courageous because the grief she was faced with is now her greatest strength.

She also made it very clear that she wouldn’t have got to this level as a professional footballer without her late mother.

“She was the one who bought me my first kit, it could only have come from her”, recalled Peace.

“My father was more