Nigeria, Nov. 12 -- Nigeria U-17 women's national team star Oluebube Umejiaku has revealed that her determination to succeed in football is driven by a deeply personal ambition: to lift her mother out of hardship and give her a better life.

The 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Golden Ball winner opened up about her difficult upbringing, the struggles her family endured and the emotional burden of watching her mother face insults and humiliation because of their circumstances.

Speaking in an interview with BBC News Pidgin, Umejiaku admitted that growing up in a family with limited financial resources was a major challenge, but insisted she would not let those difficulties derail her football dream.

For the Flamingos forward, giving up i...