Ini Hoping to Score World Cup Call-Up (Ini Umotong)

Portsmouth striker Ini Umotong, 20, is making her case for a place in Nigeria’s World Cup squad having come off the bench to score on her Super Falcons debut. A centre forward who played wide as a younger player before growing taller, she supports Arsenal and names Thierry Henry as her all-time favourite and Olivier Giroud as her current one. She is studying economics and actuarial science, and rates a game for Pepperdine University in Malibu, played on a field high above the ocean, as her favourite for the unbelievable scenery. Her height and speed are her best attributes, and her ambitions are a World Cup or the Olympics. She credits a primary school coach who made her love the game and brought her into Birmingham City’s Centre of Excellence.