Houston Dash Michelle Alozie recounts the story of how she joined the women’s national football team on top of balancing a medical career.
Michelle Alozie, who made her international debut for Nigeria in 2021, is one of the most accomplished female football players in the country. In a recent interview, Alozie revealed the circumstances that led to her joining the national team.
Based on The Women’s Game interview, the Super Falcons were in the United States for the “She Believes Cup” in 2021. However, the team was on the verge of withdrawing from the championship due to player shortages and visa issues.
Head coach Randy Waldrum then reached out to the Nigerian-American footballers in the country. Alozie, who just happened to be in Houston at the time, showcased her skills during the first training session. She was then picked to play in the game and has been with the team ever since.
Alozie’s previous experience
Alozie’s football career wasn’t always smooth-sailing. During senior season as a member of the Yale Bulldogs in 2018, she suffered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Then, she transferred to the University of Tennessee as a graduate and continued to play for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Moving on to 2019, she was rejected from the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) College Draft, which resulted in her joining the defending champions of the Kazakhstani women’s football championship BIIK Kazygurt. Still, due to the pandemic, her time in the club was cut short to three months.
In 2021, Alozie joined the Houston Dash as a preseason trialist. Dash’s assistant coach, Twila Kilgore, recruited Alozie during her previous tenure in another club.
During the 2021 soccer season, Alozie signed a contract as Dash’s national team replacement. This was followed by a full contract for the remainder of the season in August 2021. Alozie then made her first official postseason start in the 2022 NSWL Playoffs appearance.
In December 2022, she signed another two-year extension deal with the team.
Balancing medical and sports career
The Houston Dash star does not only pursue a professional NSWL career but also as a medical professional. Alozie is a Yale graduate with a degree in molecular biology who works as a research technician for the Texas Children’s Hospital.
After football training ends, she heads to the hospital and picks up her research, which involves discovering cures for children’s leukemia and other forms of cancer.
According to Alozie, she has developed a routine that helps her balance the demands of both career paths. Between saving lives and playing soccer, she says support from understanding coworkers is a vital part of her situation.
Alozie broke free from the stereotypes in which athletes struggle with life planning after hanging up their boots. While soccer is a main priority right now, she finds building an identity outside of the sport a blessing.
“I don’t necessarily know where I will end up in the medical field, but it’s definitely where I will be once my soccer career is over,” the former Yale athlete said in a Forbes interview.
Alozie’s goals for 2024
Alozie, who was named one of the best African players in the CAF Women’s Best XI, will represent Nigeria in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. The Olympics will be a grand event with schedules posted by the football bookmaker.
“I’m really excited,” she said. “Nigeria hasn’t qualified for Olympics since 2008 and so this is like a really big go for us and a really big push.”
Additionally, Alozie aims for success with the Houston Dash, with the team eyeing another trophy to add to their collection.
As for personal goals, Alozie aims to beat the number of goals she scored from the previous year. Having scored around four to five goals in 2023, she is targeting even more goals in 2024. According to Alozie, being a goal-scorer in the team is a perfect personal goal to work on.