TURNING POINT
“Football has broadened my horizons” Breaking into the world of football is often tough for African girls. Perpetua Nkwocha, 38, was beaten by her father in an attempt to stop her playing the game. But the Nigerian stuck to her guns - and ultimately found a new home in Sweden.
Name Perpetua Ijeoma Nkwocha Date of birth, place of birth 3 January 1976, Nigeria Current club Sunnana SK (SWE) Position Midfielder
Lars Baron / FIFA via Getty Images
T
he town of Skelleftea in northern Sweden couldn’t be more different to my Nigerian hometown. The sun hovers over the horizon for no more than an hour a day in December, and yet in the summer it simply never gets dark. The Arctic Circle is virtually on our doorstep and during the w inter period we only ever train in an indoor hall – even though we haven’t had all that much snow recently. I’ll admit that I do sometimes see the advantages of global warming. I’ve been living in Sweden for seven years now and I can safely say that moving here was a huge turning point in my career, opening the door to a new life and financial independence. My salary amounts to approximately €4,000 per month, a quarter of which goes to the Swedish tax office. But with my club taking care of my board and lodgings, I’m able to send a considerable part of my income back home to support my family – my parents, my five brothers and my two sisters. They live in a small place called Amankwu Umuhu. I really appreciate the reliability and the sense of order here in Sweden. That’s also in stark contrast to Nigeria, where many promises are made but very few are kept. Football is almost revered like a religion in Nigeria – at least, the men’s game is. Breaking into the world of sport is difficult for A frican girls and women. At the outset my father refused to accept that I was out in the street with boys, running around after a football, and forbade me from playing the game.
International appearances 83 appearances, 41 goals
But I didn’t let that stop me – even if it did always earn me a beating. The switch to Sweden came about thanks to an American agent in Ghana. A move to Malmo was initially on the cards, but the club lacked the financial means to complete the deal upon my arrival. Two weeks later an offer came through from Sunnana SK in Skelleftea, and so I moved there instead. Football has broadened my horizons. My talent was spotted in primary school and carefully nurtured in comprehensive school. I was then given the chance to prove myself at Nigerian club Rivas. The highlights of my career were without doubt when I represented the Nigerian national team at the FIFA World Cup finals in 2003 and 2007 as well as the Olympics in 2000, 2004 and 2008. T H E F I FA W E E K LY
At the age of 38 I am in the twilight of my career. At this point I really don’t know whether I have a chance of going to the 2015 World Cup with Nigeria. But two things are for sure: I want to remain in Europe and continue to work in football. Because this sport means everything to me. Å Interview by Thomas Renggli
In Turning Point, personalities reflect on a decisive moment in their lives. 45