Ifeanyi Chiejine competed in the 2000 and 2008 Summer Olympics, as well as the 1999, 2003, and 2007 World Cups
South Korea’s Casey Phair beats Ifeanyichukwu Chiejine’s World Cup record as the youngest-ever player to take the field, achieving this feat just 26 days after her 16th birthday, Soccernet.ng reports.
The US-born teenager made her appearance during South Korea’s Group H clash against Colombia in Sydney, coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute.
Her remarkable achievement surpassed the previous record held by Nigeria’s Ifeanyi Chiejine, who was 16 years and 34 days old when she played in the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
Notably, the match also saw another record broken, as there was a significant age gap of 22 years and 256 days between Casey Phair and her teammate, South Korean goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi.
This age gap marks the largest difference between teammates in the Women’s World Cup history, as confirmed by FIFA.
The previous record holder, Chiejine, was a talented Nigerian football striker who played for various clubs during her career.
She had a remarkable international career, participating in multiple 1999, 2003 and 2007 World Cups and the 2000 and 2008 Summer Olympics, scoring 15 goals in 61 games for Nigeria.
While Phair’s incredible achievement took the spotlight, it’s important to remember the legacy of Chiejine, whose records were broken at this World Cup.
Chiejine’s contributions to women’s football in Nigeria and beyond continue to be remembered, even after her untimely passing in August 2019 following a brief illness.
Chiejine’s astounding accomplishments will live on in the glittering past of the Women’s World Cup even as the young South Korean star writes her name into the annals of football history.
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