Valentine special: Inside the personal life of “most beautiful” NWFL star Peace Abbey

• NWFL star Peace Abbey addressed several stereotypes that female players face in the game of football
• While some call her the "most beautiful" NWFL player, she humbly believes every female footballer has her own beauty 
• With NWFL titles won at different clubs, she remains focused on adding another trophy to her collection, reflecting her consistency at the highest level.

For many, Valentine’s Day symbolised love and affection, but for one NWFL (Nigeria Women Football League) star, it was just another routine day on the training pitch.

Peace Abbey, a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bayelsa Queens, an eastern-based club, admitted that she had never been particularly interested in celebrating the occasion. 

Her professional commitments always took precedence, leaving little room for such festivities. When asked about the significance of the day’s message of love, she simply remarked that love should be expressed daily, not reserved for a single date.

Although Valentine’s Day held little significance for her, she did recall a memorable gift from a friend who, knowing she was too busy with training to go out, had sent her ₦130,000 instead,

“Yes, it was once monetised for me by my friend and that was because I was busy with training and couldn’t join him for a treat. So, he just sent me the money and it was a gesture I will always remember. Aside from that, I can’t recollect any memory of receiving any special gift for Valentine’s Day,” she explained.

She described it as one of the few remarkable Valentine’s gifts she had ever received. However, when it came to the best gift she had ever given, she remained discreet.

“I’m used to it,” Abbey talks about breaking stereotypes in football

Being a female footballer comes with its fair share of misconceptions, and she had heard it all. People often told her that she didn’t look like a footballer, a statement she found amusing rather than offensive. 

At first, she believed it was because of the assumption that a footballer couldn’t maintain a feminine appearance. Over time, however, she stopped trying to convince people. 

Instead, she simply pointed them toward her social media pages, where training photos and match highlights spoke for themselves. For those still in doubt, she invited them to the stadium to watch her in action,

“I’m used to it. Then, I used to think they said that because they believed you couldn’t be a footballer and still keep that feminine look. Now, I don’t bother to convince them, they can follow me on social media to watch training pictures and match highlights. If that is not enough, they should come to the stadium to watch us live, after all, that is what we want for our league.” she mentioned.

Even with the praise she had received, including being dubbed the "most beautiful player" in the NWFL, she remained humble, stating that every female footballer was beautiful in her own way. She was just pleased that social media had given female footballers more visibility than in previous years when their presence was limited to stadiums and occasional TV appearances. 

“People judge a lot by mere looks,” Abbey on handling unwanted advances 

As a female athlete, she had dealt with numerous advances from men, particularly on social media. She admitted that she rarely responded, believing that those who persist would eventually give up. 

She explained that she did not socialize much outside football, which helped limit such encounters. Even within the football community, male players had approached her, but she remained firm in her responses.

One common stereotype she addressed was the assumption that female athletes were more likely to be lesbians because of their close-knit nature and limited social circles outside the sport. 

While she acknowledged that people formed opinions based on appearances, she stated that she had not personally experienced discrimination or judgment because of it,

“Let me put it this way, people judge a lot by mere looks. In the general sense of that assumption too, I think it depends on who you ask but for me, I haven’t really experienced any form of discrimination or judgment,” she stated. 

Her achievements in the NWFL have been remarkable. She had won the league title in consecutive seasons with two different clubs, first with Delta Queens, then with Edo Queens, making history with the latter as they secured their first-ever championship. 

For now, her eyes were on the NWFL title once again, and if her track record was anything to go by, another trophy might just be on the horizon.

Waldrum resigns after 4-year stint with Super Falcons, cites important reasons

Previously, TheRadar reported that Randy Waldrum, head coach of the Super Falcons, had reportedly tendered his resignation to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). 

Having guided the Nigerian women’s national football team since 2020, Waldrum’s exit came just after leading the team to a round of 16 finish at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and a recent appearance at the 2024 Olympic Games.