Super Falcons’ goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, has opened up about the emotional struggles she’s faced since moving to England, admitting that she feels lonely and often breaks down in tears.
In an emotional chat with Versus on its Nothing Off the Table series, the 23-year-old said life in Brighton has been far from easy despite her growing success on the pitch.
“Since I moved to Brighton, almost every day I cry because I feel lonely. I miss my family, my teammates, my coaches — they always try to check up on me to make sure I’m okay,” Nnadozie said.
She explained that most people only see the glamour of professional football but rarely understand the struggles that come with it.
“It’s not really easy. Sometimes people just think you come out on the pitch to play, but they don’t really know what goes on behind,” she said.
The Nigerian shot-stopper, who helped the Super Falcons clinch their record 10th WAFCON title earlier this year, credited the warmth and unity of her new teammates for helping her settle into life in England
“The only thing that helps is having people who really care about you. Going to pre-season with the team also helped me a lot. The unity and everything I saw in the team were really good,” she added.
Nnadozie, who has been widely praised for her leadership and composure between the sticks, remains one of Nigeria’s brightest exports in women’s football — and her emotional honesty has now sparked conversations about the mental toll of moving abroad for young athletes.