CASABLANCA, Morocco -- Nigeria had been struggling for inspiration and attacking menace during the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), at least until Esther Okoronkwo's virtuoso performance sparked the Super Falcons to a 5-0 demolition of Zambia in the quarterfinals.
Now, as the semifinal against South Africa looms in Casablanca on Tuesday, Okoronkwo is emerging as Nigeria's talisman, with the AFC Toronto forward in the process of taking her first Nations Cup by storm.
Born in Abia State in Nigeria and raised in Richmond, Texas, Okorownko represented Northeast Texas Eagles and Lamar Lady Cardinals at college level before moving to France to play for Saint-Étienne.
She helped ASSE to promotion before moving to Granadilla Tenerife in Spain, China's Changchun Dazhong Zhuoyue, and then returned to North America to sign for AFC Toronto of Canada's Northern Super League in February.
Nigeria had struggled to hit top gear after an opening 3-0 victory over Tunisia, requiring an 89th-minute winner to defeat lowly Botswana on Matchday 2 before being held 0-0 by Algeria in their final group game.
This all changed against Zambia, with Okoronkwo assisting Osinachi Ohale to open the scoring in the second minute before adding the second goal herself just after the half-hour mark. She'd register another assist, again from a set-piece, to establish herself as the leading assist-maker in the competition.
"Esther was 10[out of 10], she always gets a 10 from me," Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Jennifer Echegini told ESPN. "She had like four assists [ed: she had two], and I kind of made a joke of her on the bench. I said: 'I didn't know you were a set-piece master'.
"She had so many assists, so, yeah, I'm just really impressed with her."
Echegeni's praise was echoed by Super Falcons skipper and Player of the Match Rasheedat Ajibade, who also registered an assist against Zambia, for Nigeria's late fifth goal, scored by Folashade Ijamilusi.
"[Esther's] a dynamic player and she's been very instrumental to almost all of our wins, at set-piece delivery and even during the game," she told ESPN. "She's just an amazing player overall, and one of the great players we have on this team."
Okoronkwo, Player of the Match herself in the opener against Tunisia, has taken her time to truly make her mark on this Nigeria team after making her international debut in 2021.
She scored the winner in the WAFCON 2022 qualifier against Ivory Coast, but was not included in the squad for the tournament after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury that sidelined her for the best part of a year.
Okoronkwo recovered to make the FIFA Women's World Cup squad in 2023, but the tournament largely passed her by; she was introduced as a substitute for Ifeoma Onumonu in the opening 0-0 draw with Canada, but wasn't given another sniff of action by then-coach Randy Waldrum thereafter.
Justin Mudugu, who replaced Waldrum as coach after the American resigned in Sept. 2024, is determined not to make the same mistake and underestimate the talented forward.
"Esther is a very key player in the team, a very fine striker," the Super Falcons' interim coach told ESPN. "She works for the team, plays up front alone, holds the ball up, allows others to come in, she has done well for the Falcons.
"Even in previous games we've played, she's done well in terms of goal-scoring, either creating chances or scoring herself; she always does [one or the other]. She's still developing, and she hasn't yet got to where she can get to, but she's a great player, a wonderful player."
Okoronkwo's stock is reaching new heights, and Nigeria certainly need her, with Desire Oparanozie retired, Uchenna Kanu absent, Ifeoma Onumonu struggling for full fitness, and Chioma Okafor absent through injury.
Asisat Oshoala, six-time African Footballer of the Year, is present, but it remains to be seen whether she can again reach the levels of performance she once guaranteed for the West African giants.
For left back Ashleigh Plumptre, Okoronkwo's versatility, attributes and character mean she has the potential to establish herself as one of the continent's finest players.
"I'm a huge fan of Esther," Plumptre told ESPN. "She has a personality of her own, and she's a character. I think people can see that from her, like social media, but I think she's like a raw talent.
"She's one of the best strikers I think I've ever seen. People don't probably speak about her enough, to be honest, but I think she is the best left-footed striker I've seen in a long time."
Her performances at the WAFCON will take her profile in the sport to another level.
"You have hold-up strikers and you have strikers running in behind, but Esther can do it all," Plumptre said. "She holds the ball really well, is very physical, she's got the speed, and she's super great, probably the most creative player on our team as well.
"Even though she is very left footed, she still manages to get away with it. You could try to force her onto her right, but she'll still find a way to do something."
Semifinals opponents South Africa haven't lost a WAFCON game since 2018, and not in regulation time since 2016, but they haven't faced too many players in such hot form as Okoronkwo during the intervening years.