Ann Chiejine represented Nigeria with a four-month and five-month pregnancy during the summer Olympics and WAFCON in 2000.
Former Super Falcons goalkeeper Ann Chiejine has revealed why she played with pregnancy at the Olympics.
Chiejine made Nigeria debut at 17
Chiejine made her debut for Nigeria in 1991, going on to attend three World Cups in 1991, 1995, and 1999, the first Super Falcons star to do so.
The former shot-stopper was known for her confidence in goal, but she took it to another level in 2000 after she represented Nigeria at the 2000 summer Olympics and the 2000 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) while pregnant.
The former Nigeria Women's Football League (NWFL) side Abia Angels coach was four-month pregnant at the Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
A month later, she proceeded to the WAFCON where Super Falcons won the championship after beating Cameroun 2-0 in South Africa.
'I didn't know that I was pregnant' – Chiejine
However, Chiejine has now disclosed that she didn’t know she was pregnant, adding that she took the risk to continue playing for Nigerians.
"I didn't know that I was pregnant, it was not good, it was FIFA that brought me out and I later discovered that I was four months pregnant, But I choose to continue the tournament, it was a big risk, a very big one but I took the risk for Nigeria," Chiejine told Brila FM.
Chiejine is the current assistant coach of the Nigeria U-17 women's team.
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Nigeria is in Group B alongside Olympic champions Canada, co-hosts Australia and the Republic of Ireland.