My mother’s sacrifices inspired World Cup success — Flamingos Golden Ball winner, Umejiaku

Nigeria’s Flamingos forward, Oluebube Umejiaku, has revealed that her desire to lift her mother out of hardship was the driving force behind her outstanding performance at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The Golden Ball winner said growing up in a family with limited financial resources had presented significant challenges, but she remained determined to succeed in football and improve her family’s circumstances.

In an interview with BBC News Pidgin, the teenager said watching her mother endure insults and humiliation because of their financial situation strengthened her resolve to make it in life.

“It’s not easy coming out from a family that has nothing. It was a very big challenge for me to make it in life. No matter how, in this football career, I won’t give up. I cannot give up,” she said.

Umejiaku said her mother’s experiences had made giving up on football impossible, adding that she wanted to provide her with a better life.
“I can’t give up because of my mother; she has suffered a lot. I need to take her out of where she is. People insult her, talk to her anyhow. Even when I’m there, they talk to her anyhow,” she said.

The forward disclosed that she regularly prayed for recognition in football so that her success would change how people treated her mother.
“I always talk to God to make people know my name, so they won’t insult my mother anyhow,” she said.

She added that her mother had often advised her not to respond to those who insulted her, warning that doing so could get her into trouble.
Umejiaku also credited her mother’s constant encouragement for helping her deliver a remarkable performance in Morocco, where Nigeria won the tournament for the first time.

The forward, who started playing football at the age of seven, said she never imagined she would emerge as the competition’s best player.
“When I started playing football at seven years old, I didn’t see myself winning the World Cup Golden Ball,” she said.

She recalled that her mother regularly called during the tournament to motivate her to score goals.

“Whenever she says, ‘I’ll score,’ I’ll score. So I’m very happy,” she added.
Umejiaku played a decisive role in Nigeria’s historic campaign, contributing a goal or assist in every match in which she featured.

She came off the bench to score Nigeria’s first goal in the tournament during the 2-1 opening defeat to Poland. She later provided an assist in the 2-0 win over Puerto Rico and scored in the 3-1 victory against defending champions North Korea.

She also scored against Mexico in the round of 16, won the late penalty converted by captain Azeezat Oduntan in the quarter-final victory over Venezuela and assisted Nigeria’s third goal in the 3-1 semi-final win against Brazil.

In the final, she scored Nigeria’s second goal in the 2-1 victory over Japan, securing the country’s first FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title and making the Flamingos the first African team to win the competition.

Her consistent contributions earned her the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s outstanding player.

However, Umejiaku said her greatest ambition extended beyond individual recognition, insisting that changing her mother’s circumstances remained her biggest motivation.