Meet the Nigerian scientist making waves at 2023 Women’s World Cup

Being a footballer entails a significant deal of responsibility and a high level of discipline in order to keep your body in shape to perform on the pitch.

In the same vein, sitting in the lab pouring over papers, testing out trials with hopes of getting useful results is tough. Therefore, combining both is a toll not many will be ready to bare.

But such is the life of Nigeria Super Falcons player, Michelle Alozie who is currently enjoying her career as a microbiologist and a footballer.

Alozie holds a Bachelor's Degree in Molecular Biology from Yale University and she serves as a microbiologist at Texas Children’s Hospital.

She is also a footballer who plays for Huston Dash in the National Women's Soccer League in the USA and the Nigerian national team.

Juggling two strenuous careers comes with a packed daily schedule and one can only imagine what a day in Alozie's life looks like.

“I’ll probably be done with training around 1 pm,” she explained to FIFA.

“I’ll head straight to the children’s hospital, get there around 1.30 pm, probably have our team meetings, and then just go about my day until about 5 pm.”

All along, Alozie's unending love for football and her passion for being in the lab finding cure for acute leukemia and children's cancer has been her drive.

“It’s crazy to think about,” she explained.

“It’s not necessarily a field that I thought I was going to find myself in but it is so amazing to be able to have an impact on children’s lives. Childhood cancer isn’t something that’s researched that much. Being able to be a part of that and be a part of that research is just such a blessing.

“I have been playing soccer since I was four or something like that and, being Nigerian, soccer, or football, is really just in our blood,” she said, smiling. “But I just have this fascination with medicine and I know it’s a career path that I would love to be in when I can’t run on the field anymore.”

Undoubtedly, balancing the two in a long time comes with great challenges. However, Alozie is optimistic about seeing through both at the end.

“I think at first it was definitely a little bit difficult to balance the two,” she admitted. “But honestly, just growing up being an athlete, we learn to balance pretty young in life. It was kind of easy after a while.”

“In the next few years I’m not really sure – the role isn’t something you’re in for a long time – but I just know that I want to be in medicine and continue that career once I’m done with my soccer career.”

Holding a degree in medicine has earned her an unofficial doctorate title from her teammate who turns to her for services.

“I feel like any time something happens, if there’s a little injury, if someone gets knocked, if their stomach hurts, they come to me!” she laughed. “I’m like, 'Guys, I’m not a doctor, I actually don’t know what’s going on internally with you!'”

Although she does not hold the title yet, the Houston Dash forward plans to become a doctor in the next few years.

“I’m definitely going to play soccer until I literally cannot run anymore! I know medical school will always be there and it will definitely be there when my bones are brittle,” she grinned.

“Hopefully in a few years, they can actually call me Dr Alozie. But now I just need to be Michelle.”