Cynthia Uwak

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Cynthia Uwak

| image =

| fullname = Cynthia Uwak

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|07|15|df=y}}

| birth_place = Nigeria

| height = {{convert|1.60|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| position = Striker

| currentclub = Åland United

| clubnumber = 18

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 =2005 |clubs1 =KMF |caps1 = |goals1 =

| years2 =2006 |clubs2 =FC United |caps2 = |goals2 = 17

| years3 =2007 |clubs3 =Falköpings KIK |caps3 = |goals3 =

| years4 =2008 |clubs4 =FC United |caps4 = |goals4 =

| years5 =2008–2009 |clubs5 =Lyon |caps5 = |goals5 =

| years6 =2009 |clubs6 =KMF |caps6 =12 |goals6 =18

| years7 =2009–2011 |clubs7 =1. FC Saarbrücken |caps7 =42 |goals7 =12

| years8 =2011–2012 |clubs8 =PK-35 Vantaa |caps8 =29 |goals8 =22

| years9 =2012– |clubs9 =Åland United |caps9 =32 |goals9 =22

|nationalyears1 = 2002 |nationalteam1 = Nigeria U-19 |nationalcaps1 = |nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2 = 2004–

| nationalteam2 = Nigeria

| nationalcaps2 = | nationalgoals2 =

| pcupdate = 21 June 2014

| ntupdate =

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's Football}}

{{MedalCountry|{{NGR}}}}

}}

Cynthia Uwak {{Audio|Ig-Cynthia Uwak.ogg|listen|help=no}} (born 15 July 1986 in Akwa Ibom State) is a Nigerian football striker who most recently played for Åland United in the Naisten Liiga in Finland.

Early life

Cynthia Uwak's first experience of playing football was against boys in the streets of her hometown. She was supported by her mother to pursue football, and was able to combine playing with her secondary education.

Football career

=Club=

Cynthia Uwak began her club career with Finnish women's side KMF, and has spent the majority of her club career in Scandinavia with the exception of a stint in France and Germany.{{cite web|title=My mother encouraged me to play football – Uwak|url=http://montyentertainment.com/my-mother-encouraged-me-to-play-football-uwak|publisher=Monty Entertainment|accessdate=15 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116021452/http://montyentertainment.com/my-mother-encouraged-me-to-play-football-uwak|archive-date=16 November 2016|url-status=dead}}

She was part of the Olympique Lyonnais team that won the Division 1 Féminine title in France in 2009. After moving to Finnish side Åland United, she won a further Naisten Liiga title in 2013, and was the top goal scorer in the division.

=International=

She is a member of the Nigeria national football team. Uwak competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics{{cite web|publisher=Sports Reference|title=Cynthia Uwak Biography and Statistics|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/uw/cynthia-uwak-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418124031/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/uw/cynthia-uwak-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2020|accessdate=14 October 2009}} and the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup.

She missed out on the squad for the 2010 African Women's Championship in South Africa following an injury. The national coach Eucharia Uche said at the time that that would not automatically mean that she would be left out of the squad for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup the following year.{{cite web|title=CYNTHIA UWAK not ruled out of World Cup|url=http://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=3730|publisher=All Nigeria Soccer|accessdate=15 November 2016|date=18 November 2010}} However, when the World Cup squad was announced, Uwak was not listed. No specific reason was given for her omission, with a general statement saying, "The coach has strictly gone with players that are capable of doing the country proud at the World Cup in Germany".{{cite news|last1=Okeleji|first1=Oluwashina|title=Nigeria omit Cynthia Uwak from World Cup squad|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/13769627|accessdate=15 November 2016|publisher=BBC Sport|date=14 June 2011}}

She was considered for a return to the national team by coach Florence Omagbemi in 2016 for the Africa Women Cup of Nations in Cameroon. The coach was looking at a succession of former players in an effort to bolster the team's chances at the upcoming tournament.{{cite news|last1=Akpodonor|first1=Gowon|title=Nigeria: Cynthia Uwak, Oluehi, Uchechi May Return to Super Falcons|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201605110267.html|accessdate=15 November 2016|work=AllAfrica|date=11 May 2016}}

Personal life

Uwak has previously spoken out against the notion that all women involved in football are lesbians; "saying that female footballers are lesbians is rather pathetic. You can’t just label people based on assumptions."{{cite web|title=Cynthia Uwak: "Female Footballers Are Not Lesbians"|url=https://www.360nobs.com/2015/03/cynthia-uwak-female-footballers-are-not-lesbians/|publisher=360 Nobs|accessdate=15 November 2016|date=23 March 2015}}

Honours

= Club =

Division 1 Féminine (1): 2009
Naisten Liiga (3): 2011, 2012, 2013

=International=

African Women's Championship (2): 2004, 2006

= Personal =

African Women Footballer of the Year (2): 2006, 2007
Naisten Liiga top scorer (1): 2013

References

External links

[https://archive.today/20130213133728/http://palloverkko.palloliitto.fi/Live/Stats/PlayerDetails.aspx?PlayerID=2528406&CompID=2 Cynthia Uwak profile Women's League in Finland] (Finnish)
{{FIFA player|191960}}

{{Navboxes

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Category:1986 births

Category:Living people

Category:Nigerian women's footballers

Category:21st-century Nigerian sportswomen

Category:Nigeria women's international footballers

Category:2007 FIFA Women's World Cup players