Chiamaka Nnadozie wrote her name into Paris FC history on Saturday with a heroic performance that sealed their first major title in nearly two decades, as they edged Paris Saint-Germain 5-4 on penalties to win the 2025 Coupe de France Féminine after a goalless draw at Stade de l’Épopée in Calais.
The final, contested by two evenly matched sides from the capital, delivered drama and top-quality football, but it was the Nigerian goalkeeper’s brilliance that ultimately decided the outcome. Nnadozie, who joined Paris FC five years ago, pulled off two decisive penalty saves in the shootout, denying Korbin Albert and then tipping away Jade Le Guilly’s effort to clinch the title.
The 24-year-old’s performance marked her first club silverware since leaving Nigeria, where she had won multiple domestic titles with Rivers Angels and continental honours with the Super Falcons.
The match began at a frenetic pace, with Gaëtane Thiney nearly putting Paris FC ahead in the fifth minute after a flowing team move, only for her shot to skim just wide of the post. Elisa de Almeida then sent in a teasing cross in the 12th minute, narrowly missing Romée Leuchter, as Paris FC looked the more threatening early on.
PSG responded with attacking intent of their own, with Grace Geyoro and Marie-Antoinette Katoto orchestrating moves in midfield. Griedge Mbock made a vital intervention in the 15th minute to halt a Paris FC breakaway. Both teams continued to push, with Thiney briefly finding the net in the 27th minute before the assistant’s flag ruled it out for offside.
In a tense but open encounter, chances came and went. Clara Mateo and Kessya Bussy tested Nnadozie and her opposite number, Constance Picaud, with fierce shots on goal. PSG’s best chance of the match arrived in stoppage time when Melween’s curling strike looked destined for the top corner, only for Nnadozie to acrobatically tip it over the bar, underlining her growing influence on the match.
With no breakthrough after 90 minutes, the final moved to penalties. Paris FC struck first through Théa Gréboval, with PSG’s Leuchter levelling. Mateo struck the woodwork with Paris FC’s second, handing PSG the advantage, which Katoto capitalised on. But it was Nnadozie who swung the tide, diving to her right to stop Albert’s effort before denying Le Guilly in sudden death to send the Paris FC bench and travelling fans into raptures.
It was a monumental evening for Paris FC, who had last lifted the Coupe de France in 2005 and had not celebrated any silverware since their 2006 Division 1 Féminine title. The victory was particularly poignant for Thiney, who made her final cup appearance for the club, and for head coach Sandrine Soubeyrand, whose tactical nous saw the team through a grueling cup run.
The performance added to a list of heroics for Nnadozie, whose brilliance has consistently shone through at both club and international level in recent years. In the 2023–24 UEFA Women’s Champions League, she saved five penalties across just eight matches, including standout stops against Arsenal, Wolfsburg and Spanish World Cup winner Olga Carmona of Real Madrid. In domestic league play, she thwarted Ines Benyahia of Le Havre and Aissata Traore of Guingamp.
Her international pedigree is equally impressive. At the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, she famously denied Canadian legend Christine Sinclair from the spot, helping Nigeria secure a valuable draw. She also produced crucial penalty saves during the 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifiers and made headlines at the 2019 World Cup, saving a penalty against France, albeit one later retaken.
