AN under-15 girls’ soccer cup final played out at Dublin’s AUL grounds last Sunday between St Francis and Stella Maris finished 3-1 to Stella Maris, and one of the many girls to shine was Irish-Nigerian Chinwendu Vine of St Francis.
Chinwendu, who came to Ireland with her family in 1997, has been playing football for the past 10 years and is thought to be in contention for a place on the Republic of Ireland’s under-17 side. A lack of an Irish passport had previously restricted her selection, but she is expected to acquire her passport shortly.
Last weekend’s cup final clash against Stella Maris provided a stern test for the youngster.
Spectators were out in force for the match, with national team coach Noel King among those gathered on the sidelines for the game. St Francis took a surprise lead, which they managed to hold until 20 minutes before time, when Stella Maris finally got to grips with their opponents and scored three goals in quick succession.
Chinwendu’s father Chinedu Vine told Metro Éireann after the game, “They [St Francis] did extremely well. Stella Maris is in the premier division while the St Francis team are two divisions below in 15 C.” He continued, “Stella Maris were far more experienced.”
Fifteen-year-old Chinwendu, who is one of two girls of Nigerian heritage playing for St Francis, was praised for her performance despite the defeat. National team manager Noel King congratulated the Baldonnell girl on her “speed and agility”, saying that although her side lost she was “outstanding”. She played as a striker, but has also impressed as a tough defender.
