Precious Dede

{{Infobox football biography

|name=Precious Dede

|fullname = Precious Uzoaru Dede{{cite news |url=http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWWC/2015/pdf/FWWC_2015_SquadLists.pdf |title= List of Players – 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup |work=FIFA |access-date=20 June 2015}}

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1980|1|18|df=yes}}

|birth_place= Lagos, Nigeria

|height = 1.70m

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = ????-2008

| clubs1 = Delta Queens

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2009

| clubs2 = Arna-Bjørnar

| caps2 = 16

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2010

| clubs3 = Delta Queens

| caps3 =

| goals3 =

| years4 = 2012

| clubs4 = Rivers Angels

| caps4 =

| goals4 =

| years5 = 2013

| clubs5 = Bayelsa Queens

| caps5 =

| goals5 =

| nationalyears1= 2003–2016

| nationalteam1= Nigeria

| nationalcaps1 = 99{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/players/player=178889/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110630214124/http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/players/player=178889/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 June 2011 |title= Profile |publisher= FIFA.com |access-date=20 June 2015}}

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| pcupdate = 11:33, 29 June 2015 (UTC)

| ntupdate = 15:46, 17 June 2015 (UTC)

}}

Precious Uzoaru Dede (born 18 January 1980) is a Nigerian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper for the women's national football team. She formerly played for several clubs, including Delta Queens FC, Ibom Queens and Arna-Bjørnar, as well as appearing 99 times for the Nigeria women's national football team.

Club career

On 30 March 2009 Dede signed a one-year contract to play for Arna-Bjørnar in Bergen, Norway. She had been brought in following an injury to fellow goalkeeper Erika Skarbø.{{cite web|last1=Ellinsen|first1=Roy|title=Nigerianer til Arna-Bjørnar|url=http://www.aftenposten.no/100Sport/fotball/kvinner/Nigerianer-til-Arna-Bjornar-142331_1.snd|publisher=Aftenposten|access-date=14 November 2016|language=no|date=31 March 2009}}

International career

Dede has been in many Nigerian squads over the years, including the Women's World Cup tournaments of 2003, 2007, 2011,{{cite web|last1=Adewuyi|first1=Lolade|title=Precious Dede to lead Nigeria at Women's World Cup|url=http://www.goal.com/en/news/1656/nigeria/2011/06/14/2532159/precious-dede-to-lead-nigeria-at-womens-world-cup|publisher=Goal.com|access-date=14 November 2016|date=14 June 2011}} 2015, the Olympic tournaments of Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008,{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=178889/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150620101955/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=178889/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 June 2015 |title=FIFA player's stats |publisher=FIFA |access-date=29 June 2015}} and the African Women's Championship tournaments of 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, winning it twice (2010, 2014).{{cite web|title=New Super Falcons interim coach Danjuma drops veteran goalkeeper Precious Dede|url=http://www.nigerianwatch.com/news/7274-new-super-falcons-interim-coach-danjuma-drops-veteran-goalkeeper-precious-dede|publisher=Nigerian Watch|access-date=14 November 2016}}

=Retirement=

She had initially considered retiring from international football following the 2014 African Women's Championship, but was convinced to continue playing through the 2015 World Cup. Following the tournament, she announced her retirement in March 2016, having played 99 games for the senior national team.{{cite news|last1=Nwachukwu|first1=John Owen|title=Falcons goalkeeper, Precious Dede retires from football|url=http://dailypost.ng/2016/03/28/falcons-goalkeeper-precious-dede-retires-from-football/|access-date=14 November 2016|work=Daily Post|date=28 March 2016}} At the time of her retirement, she had been the longest serving player for the squad, and had recently been dropped from the team for the qualification tournament for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

She decided to fully retire from professional football in October that year, saying "I cherish the opportunity to play at club level and represent my country, it was a dream come true. I am very grateful to have spent over a decade in female football, I owe so much to the best game in the world."{{cite web|last1=Tobi|first1=Adepoju|title=Precious Dede retires from Professional football|url=http://naijafootballplus.com/home/news/1445/Precious-Dede-retires-from-Professional-football/30|publisher=Naija Football Plus|access-date=14 November 2016|date=26 October 2016}}