Alaba Jonathan

{{Short description|Nigerian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Alaba Jonathan | image = Alaba Jonathan 2010 (cropped).jpg | caption = Jonathan at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup | fullname = Alaba Jonathan | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1992|6|1}} | birth_place = Calabar, Nigeria | height = 167 cm | currentclub = Pelican Stars | clubnumber = 16 | position = Goalkeeper | years1 = | clubs1 = Pelican Stars | years2 = | clubs2 = Bayelsa Queens | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = Nigeria U-20 | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | nationalyears2 = | nationalteam2 = Nigeria | nationalcaps2 = | nationalgoals2 = | ntupdate = }}

'''Alaba Jonathan''' (born 1 June 1992 Calabar, Nigeria) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Pelican Stars.

== Career ==

=== Development === Alaba Jonathan began her career in the youth of the Navy Angels. After she failed to qualify for the senior team of the Navy Angels, she moved to the Pelican Stars in spring 2010 where she remains under contract.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://futbalgalore.blogspot.com/2013/08/pelican-stars-upset-form-books-to.html|title=Futball Galore Media: Pelican Stars upset form books to qualify at the expense of Delta Queens|last=Unknown|date=2 August 2013|publisher=}}</ref>

=== National team === Jonathan is a member of Nigeria's national team and has played at least once for the team.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/players/player=302087/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701135837/http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/players/player=302087/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 July 2011|title=FIFA Women's World Cup: Alaba JONATHAN – Profile|publisher=}}</ref> Jonathan represented her home country as a third goalkeeper at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nwzonline.de/der-wm-kader-von-nigeria_a_1,0,671073483.html|title=Der WM-Kader von Nigeria|last=Nordwest-Zeitung|date=17 June 2011|website=www.nwzonline.de|access-date=1 June 2019|archive-date=1 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190601080453/https://www.nwzonline.de/der-wm-kader-von-nigeria_a_1,0,671073483.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Previously in 2010, she participated in the U-20 World Cup for the Nigeria U-20's.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-20-WNT/2010/07/US-U20-WNT-Ready-To-Take-On-Nigeria-In-Quarterfinals-of-2010-FIFA-U20-Womens-World-Cup.aspx?print=true |title=U.S. U-20 WNT Ready To Take On Nigeria In Quarterfinals of 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup |access-date=5 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524095630/http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-20-WNT/2010/07/US-U20-WNT-Ready-To-Take-On-Nigeria-In-Quarterfinals-of-2010-FIFA-U20-Womens-World-Cup.aspx?print=true |archive-date=24 May 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

She was shortlisted by coach Thomas Dennerby to be among the 27 women's team that will feature in the 2019 Fifa Women's World Cup in Austria.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-13 |title=2019 Women's World Cup: Local octet in Nigeria provisional squad |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48255200 |access-date=2025-07-20 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Amos |date=2019-05-25 |title=Surprises as Nigeria name Women's World Cup squad |url=https://guardian.ng/sport/surprises-as-nigeria-name-womens-world-cup-squad/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2025-07-22 |newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-US}}</ref>

== International career == Alaba Jonathan was in goal as the Falconets reached the final of the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany.<ref>{{Cite news |title=U‑20 Success (2010) |url=https://www.completesports.com/10-super-falcons-breakout-stars-from-fifa-u-20-womens-world-cup/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|newspaper=Complete Sports}}</ref> It was the first time an African team would play in the final of a major FIFA women’s tournament, a feat the Falconets repeated in 2014 in Canada. Alaba went on to feature for the Super Falcons and was in goal when the team won the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in Cameroon in 2016.

'''Senior Level & Super Falcons:'''

Nigeria’s Super Falcons on Saturday emerged African champions with a hard-earned victory over Cameroon.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2016 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations |url=https://articles.connectnigeria.com/awcon-2016-nigerias-super-falcons-african-champions/}}</ref> The Falcons’ 1-0 defeat of the Lionesses ensured that they retained the AWCON title they won two years ago. The match proved to be a particularly stern test for the Nigerian team. The Cameroonians created several chances; goalkeeper Jonathan Alaba was called to action on a number of occasions, as the Lionesses tried in vain to break the deadlock

== Club career == '''Bayelsa Queens FC:''' Super 4 champion and Bayelsa Queens goalkeeper Alaba Jonathan says her performance during the competition was her response to questions whether she was ready for a bigger role as a national team player.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bayelsa Queen's FC |url=https://www.brila.net/bayelsa-queens-star-alaba-reveals-motivation-behind-super-4-performance/}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{commons category}} * {{FIFA_player|302087}}

{{Nigeria squad 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup}} {{Nigeria squad 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations}} {{Nigeria squad 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jonathan, Alaba}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Nigerian women's footballers Category:People from Calabar Category:2011 FIFA Women's World Cup players Category:Nigeria women's international footballers Category:Women's association football goalkeepers Category:2019 FIFA Women's World Cup players Category:Bayelsa Queens F.C. players Category:21st-century Nigerian sportswomen Category:2016 Women's Africa Cup of Nations players Category:Nigeria women's under-20 international footballers