By Osasu Obayiuwana BBC Sport Online

A veteran of three World Cups, Ann Chiejine is one of the most experienced players in international female football.

But the 28 year-old goalkeeper of Nigeria's Super Falcons, current African champions and quarter-finalists at the last World Cup, had to overcome parental opposition to her career choice.

"When I made up my mind to make football my career, my parents made it clear that they were against it," Chiejine told BBC Sport Online while on tour with the national team in England.

"They felt that football would make me so muscular that no man would want to marry me and I would end up being unable to bear children.

"A medical doctor told them that playing football would not stop me from having children but that did not sway them."

Now in her eleventh year with the Falcons, Chiejine is the proud mother of Ebube, an eight year old daughter and two sons, aged six and one.

Chiejine plays her club football for Larry Angels in the Nigerian league and says being away from her children for long periods has been difficult.

" I am lucky to have a husband that has always supported my career and he takes care of them whenever I am away."

"But when I think of my children it is not easy to be away from them."

With the African championships coming up at the end of the year, Chiejine will be playing a key role in Nigeria's campaign.

The championships, which Nigeria would be hosting, doubles as the qualifying series for the 2003 World Cup in China.

Dominating African football for over a decade, the Falcons are eager to prove their mettle against American, European and Asian opposition.

In Chiejine's opinion, Nigeria's recent 1-0 win over England is indicative of the strides that the team has made in recent years.

"Beating England on their ground shows we are now one of the best teams in the world. We have really come a long way.

"When I played in my first World Cup in 1991, we lost all our games. But we came so close to reaching the semi-finals in 1999.

"Losing to Brazil in that quarter-final was painful, as I believe we could have reached the final of that tournament.

"But with the players that we have, Nigeria has a bright future in the female game, as we are more experienced now," Chiejine said.