Nigeria, Oct. 4 -- Nigeria Super Falcons forward, Ifeoma Onumonu, has announced her retirement from football, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable 22-year journey that spanned the heights of club and international success.

In a heartfelt statement posted on her social media pages early Saturday morning, the 31-year-old striker expressed gratitude as she "bid farewell" to her playing career.

"It is with a heart full of gratitude that I bid farewell to my playing career on the pitch," she wrote. "Although my time as a player has come to an end, my love and devotion for this game will never waver."

Onumonu traced her footballing beginnings back to when she was eight, playing for a youth team called "The Magic" at local AYSO fields in...