Onome Ebi: Veteran African history maker, 39, joins Spain's top flight

Onome Ebi became the first African player to ever appear at five World Cups when she lined up in France in 2019

Veteran Nigeria defender Onome Ebi has joined newly-promoted Spanish women's top-flight side Levante Las Planas ten months before the next Women's World Cup.

The 39-year-old, who started her career in 2001 in Nigeria, penned a one-year deal as she tries to stay in shape ahead of the 2023 finals.

The seven-time Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) participant is aiming to become the first African to play in six World Cups.

Next year's finals, where Ebi is set to captain the Super Falcons, will take place in Australia and New Zealand.

At the 2019 Women's World Cup in France, Ebi became the first African player, man or woman, to appear at five World Cups.

After debuting at the 2003 tournament in the United States aged 20, she has become a mainstay of the Nigerian defence through the 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 events.

Part of Nigeria's beaten semi-finalists at this year's Wafcon in Morocco, Ebi is a four-time winner of the continental competition.

Her move to Spain means the much-travelled and vastly-experienced centre back joins her tenth professional club in a career that spans over two decades.

A combined seven-year spell with Omidiran and Bayelsa Queens in Nigeria was followed by stints with Swedish clubs Piteå and Djurgården.

Successful stints in Turkey followed from 2011 to 2013, whereupon Ebi returned to Sweden to play for Sunnanå SK.

An adventurous three years in China (2017-2020) with Henan Jianye came in between two successful stints at Belarusian club FC Minsk, winning four domestic titles before leaving in November 2021.