Boluwatife Kehinde
Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie is fast becoming one of the most talked-about names in English football after a sensational start to life at Brighton & Hove Albion.
The 24-year-old has climbed to the top of the Women’s Super League (WSL) saves chart and earned a nomination for the PFA WSL Fans’ Player of the Month award for September.
Since joining Brighton from Paris FC in the summer, Nnadozie has been a standout performer, recording 22 saves in five matches — more than any other goalkeeper in the league. Her nearest rivals, Leicester City’s Janina Leitzig (21 saves) and London City Lionesses’ Elene Lete (19 saves), trail closely behind.
The Nigerian international has also registered two clean sheets, ranking just behind Tottenham’s Lize Kop and Manchester United’s Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who have three apiece. Her heroics have been central to Brighton’s solid start to the season, with the Seagulls currently sitting sixth on the WSL table.
Her nomination for the PFA award sees her line up alongside some of the league’s biggest stars, including Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones, Manchester United’s Melvine Malard, Arsenal’s Alessia Russo, Manchester City’s Bunny Shaw, and Tottenham’s Cathinka Tandberg.
Nnadozie’s influence was evident throughout September as she helped Brighton collect seven points from their opening four matches, including a clean sheet on her debut against Aston Villa and a string of vital stops in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City. Even in the recent 1-0 loss to Tottenham, she made six key saves, denying multiple close-range efforts from Tandberg, Summanen, and England.
Her rise in England follows an exceptional year in which she helped Nigeria win the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where she was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament, and became the first African goalkeeper ever nominated for the Women’s Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d’Or awards, finishing fourth.
Brighton manager Dario Vidosic hailed her as “a true professional and leader,” calling her global recognition “a proud moment for the entire club and women’s football.”
