Inside Michelle Alozie’s Journey From Cancer Research Specialist to Super Falcons’ Defensive Star

• Michelle Alozie produced a fine performance as Nigeria booked their place in the knockout phase of the FIFA Women’s World Cup
• Alozie has featured in all Group games for the Super Falcons as they continue their quest at the tournament
• Here we dissect how the US-born defender balances her medical career with professional football

Nigerian international, Michelle Alozie remains one of the revelations of the ongoing 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, having been impressive for Nigeria so far.

The 26-year-old was born in Apple Ville in California, USA, to Nigerian parents from Imo in the South Eastern part of Nigeria.

Michelle has gained attention on social media for her attractiveness and outstanding on-field performances.

Here we look at her inspiring journey from being a cancer research specialist to a superstar at the World Cup.

Education and early career

While studying for her bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, Alozie displayed her football skills.

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She featured for the Yale Bulldogs between 2015 and 2018, making 49 appearances and scoring 19 goals in all competitions, but after an injury, she moved to the University of Tennessee, where she continued with her playing career.

In 2019, the defender decided to register with the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) College Draft, but she was not selected.

After one year, she signed her first professional contract with Alozie BIIK Kazygurt of Kazakhstan, but she could not feature for the club due to the impact of COVID-19 at the time.

She then opted to join Texas-based Houston Dash, where she has so far made 21 appearances in all competitions.

Journey to Super Falcons

Nigeria's coach, Randy Waldrum had worked with the player at Houston Dash as he previously worked there.

He invited her to the Super Falcons, and Alozie debuted in June 2021 in a game against Jamaica.

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Randy then included her in the Super Falcons squad for the 2023 FIFA World Cup, where she is having a remarkable tournament.

She has so far made 22 appearances for the Nigerian national team, including three World Cup appearances.

Balancing career with football

Alozie is a medical professional and has been able to balance her career as a cancer research technician at the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston with football.

Soccernet reports that she is committed to both careers, which inspires aspiring athletes and young girls alike.

Alozie is a brilliant example of how goals can be achieved with commitment and hard work as her star continues to rise

Plumptre: Why Nigeria over England?

Sports Brief reported that Leicester-born star, Ashleigh Plumptre explained why she switched allegiance to play for the Super Falcons of Nigeria.

The defender had featured for England’s Youth teams, including the U17, U19, and U23 teams, but chose to represent Nigeria at the national team level.

The former LA Galaxy OC star once stated that she decided to play for the Super Falcons in order to uncover more about her heritage.