San Diego Wave FC has announced the signing of 19-year-old Nigerian striker Chiamaka Okwuchukwu from Rivers Angels FC of the Nigerian Women’s Premier League. The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) club confirmed the one-year deal for the 2025 season on Monday.

“We are very pleased to welcome Chiamaka to the Wave family,” said San Diego Wave FC Sporting Director and General Manager Camille Ashton. “Her signing is the latest example of our intention to add promising young players to the roster. With her skillset, we believe Chiamaka will complement our current attacking players very well and be a key contributor to the team,” Ashton added.

Okwuchukwu, the reigning Confederation of African Football (CAF) Young Women’s Player of the Year, made waves at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia last year, where she scored two goals and provided an assist. She debuted for Nigeria’s senior national team at the age of 16 in 2022, helping the team go undefeated in the group stage of that year’s competition.

The Wave has been reshaping its roster ahead of the 2025 season after missing the playoffs in 2024. In addition to Okwuchukwu, the club has added international stars such as striker Delphine Cascarino and defender Perle Morroni from France, as well as striker Maria Sanchez, who represents Mexico internationally.

San Diego’s roster now boasts a diverse lineup of international talent, including Kailen Sheridan and Mya Jones (Canada), Hanna Lundkvist (Sweden), and Kaitlin Torpey (Australia).

Okwuchukwu joins a growing list of Nigerian players making an impact in the NWSL, with veteran striker Asisat Oshoala continuing to lead the charge for Nigerian representation on the global stage.