Rabat, July 26, 2025. Nigeria went two goals behind Morocco in the WAFCON final when Esther Okoronkwo converted a penalty in the 64th minute. She scored, then set up Folashade Ijamilusi’s equalizer and Jennifer Echegini’s late winner as the Super Falcons won 3-2.
| Esther Okoronkwo | Basic facts |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | March 27, 1997 |
| Home state | Abia State, Nigeria |
| Position | Striker, #9 |
| Current club | AFC Toronto (Northern Super League, Canada), contract until 2027 |
| Previous clubs | Saint-Etienne, UD Tenerife, Changchun Dazhong |
| Nigerian debut | 10 June 2021 vs Jamaica |
| Great prizes | Winner of WAFCON 2024 (played in 2025), OON |
| Salary | It is not disclosed to the public |
From the streets of Abia to Texas
He was five years old.
That was his age when he started begging his older brother and friends on the streets of Abia to let him into their games, according to a Sports247 profile taken from an interview with CBC Sports. The family later settled in Texas. He attended John and Randolph Foster High School in Richmond. He followed college football at Northeast Texas Community College and then Lamar University. There, he was named Southland Conference Player of the Year.
“I didn’t think I was going to be a pro,” he told CBC Sports. “Back then, women’s soccer didn’t look like it does now. But I knew I was good.”
The road was difficult. A torn ACL nearly derailed him in 2018. The second came in his first professional season at Saint-Etienne. The injury also cost her the 2022 African Women’s Cup of Nations. Next up is Spain, UD Tenerife in League F. Then China and Changchun Dazhong in 2024.
Esther Okoronkwo’s club career in Toronto
AFC Toronto signed him in February 2025 for the first season of Canada’s new professional league. It worked in an instant. On May 1, 2025, he scored both goals in a 2–1 win over the Calgary Wild, the first win in club history, and by the end of the campaign he had the most league goals with eight goals and 11 assists in 20 games. NSL Team of the Season. Toronto topped the table but lost 2-1 to Vancouver Rise in the final.
In January 2026, the club confirmed a one-year extension until 2027. It remains on the list.
Super Falcons career: World Cup, Olympic Games and WAFCON
His senior debut came on 10 June 2021 against Jamaica. He then scored a goal against Ivory Coast that secured a place at the 2022 WAFCON. An injury kept him out of the tournament. He was in Randy Waldrum’s 23-man squad for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Paris 2024 followed.
The 2024 edition of WAFCON, played in Morocco in July 2025, turned things around for him as CAF credited him with six assists, plus one goal and two Player of the Match awards in six matches, and he was named in the Best XI. Her favorite moment? “It should be the assist for the winning goal in the final,” he told CAF.
The 2026 edition did damage. He was racially abused online before the game against Malawi. The NFF and AFC Toronto have both released statements supporting him. He responded with the words of Martin Luther King: “Hate cannot make hate disappear. Only love can.” Nigeria lost that opener 3-2. Followed by victories over Zambia and Egypt. Cameroon then won 1-0 in the quarter-finals on August 9 and the Falcons must now qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
For more context, see Super Falcons’ top scorer list at WAFCON.
Esther Okoronkwo salary: what is actually known
No published sources give his salary. Neither the player nor AFC Toronto have released this.
The frame of the league is at a record level. When the Northern Super League started, it set a minimum salary of C$50,000 per player and a team size of C$1.6 million. All contracts are guaranteed. Each club can sign one designated player outside the cap.
The most prominent public figure came from Abuja. After the 2025 WAFCON triumph, President Bola Tinubu awarded each player of the Super Falcons $100,000, a three-bedroom apartment at the Renovated Hope Housing Complex and the national honor of Officer of the Order of the Niger. At the official exchange rate of about N1,328 to the dollar as of October 2, 2026, this cash is worth about N132.8 million. For comparison, read our article on Asisat Oshoala’s salary at Bay FC. Treat any unsourced Okoronkwo figure online with caution.
Our vision
Okoronkwo keeps his personal life out of the headlines. Apart from the brother with whom he got into street games, he shared little.
His story still speaks volumes. A forward returning from two torn ACLs and crossing three continents before settling down has made it to the continental finals, showing how Nigerian talent abroad can be found late and still deliver. “My main goal is for the team to win,” he told CAF. “I am happy when the team wins.” A few lines sum it up better.
He now belongs in any conversation about modern-day Falcons greats alongside the all-time leading scorers.
This article was last revised and updated 1 minute ago