EXCLUSIVE! After first match, Super Falcons defender, Ogbonna, gets rave reviews in Sweden 

By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women Football Journalist

Rave reviews have greeted the sterling performance of young Super Falcons’ defender, Akudo Esther Ogbonna after her first match in Sweden in the full colours of IFK Kalmar in the Swedish women’s football league.

The Remo Ladies FC reliable defender who moved to IFK Kalmar a week ago and was thrown into the thick of action less than 48 hours after her arrival in the Scandinavian country still had a standout performance in her league match between Sunnanà SK and IFK Kalmar which the visiting team won 2-1.

Prompt News exclusively gathered from Nicklas Andersson, Club Manager, IFK Kalmar, that media reviews in Sweden especially the local press have been churning out positive reports just after Ogbonna’s first match performance against Sunnanà SK.

Said he: “The underlying message is that our local media has been awash with the performance of our new Nigerian international (Akudo Ogbonna) after her great performance in the first match for us despite the long trip from Nigeria. They said this person is unique and we can achieve great things with her”.

Andersson who provided the newspaper report on Ogbonna to buttress his claims revealed that the club trust her to continue to give her best in subsequent matches in the Swedish Elitettan (second league) to ensure that the club meets its targets.

Below is the bromide of the report provided by Andersson:

“Ice cold” new acquisition should raise the temperature in IFK: “Will get better”

A national team defender who never left Nigeria.

IFK’s cry for help made her pack her bags.

– It was the right time, says Ogbonna Akudo.

Published today (August 29, 2024) by16:00

The Nigerian Ogbonna Akudo traveled for 30 hours, arrived in Kalmar and got on the bus to travel to Skellefteå the next day without complaining or saying a word. The late summer weather, on the other hand, is far too cold.

The Nigerian Ogbonna Akudo traveled for 30 hours, arrived in Kalmar and got on the bus to travel to Skellefteå the next day without complaining or saying a word. The late summer weather, on the other hand, is far too cold.

Photo: Henrik Eriksson

The title may be somewhat misleading. It is not that the signing of the 24-year-old centre-back is bad, rather the opposite. Suddenly, IFK has a Nigerian national team player in the team.

But different climate zones can confuse a conversation sometimes. The sun is blazing outside the Gröndal clubhouse and it is 23 degrees when Ogbonna Akudo comes out of the office.

The undersigned begins by saying hello and saying that she won’t get used to this weather.

Nej, det är verkligen kallt, svarar Akudo.

Du tycker att det är kallt nu?

– Ja, jag är inte alls van vid den här kylan. Jag har tre, fyra filtar på mig när jag sover. Det är verkligen kallt här”.