Okoronkwo Shines on Return as AFC Toronto Defeat Montreal Roses to Extend NSL Lead

Esther Okoronkwo made an immediate impact on her return to club football with AFC Toronto, providing a brilliant assist in their 2-1 victory over Montreal Roses on Saturday in the Northern Super League.

Fresh off her stellar performance at the 2025 WAFCON in Morocco—where she played a key role in helping Nigeria clinch their 10th title—Okoronkwo wasted no time in influencing the game. Her clever chest pass set up Kaylee Hunter for Toronto’s second goal, as the Canadian side tightened their grip at the top of the league table.

Toronto opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Nikayla Small calmly finished a counterattack initiated by Sarah Stratigakis’ precise through ball. Thirteen minutes later, Hunter doubled the lead with a thunderous long-range strike—her ninth goal of the season—thanks to Okoronkwo’s creative assist.

Montreal managed to pull one back in stoppage time of the first half, as Stephanie Hill converted a corner kick delivered by Latifah Abdu. However, Toronto held firm in the second half to secure all three points.

With this result, AFC Toronto now sit atop the NSL standings with 31 points from 16 games—six points ahead of second-placed Montreal, who still have a game in hand. Both teams now have two wins each in their head-to-head matchups this season and are set to clash one final time on October 18 in Toronto, in what could be a decisive match to close the regular season.

Okoronkwo’s return continues a remarkable run of form. During the recent WAFCON, she recorded seven assists and two vital goals, including a penalty in the final, underlining her growing influence for both club and country.