Portland Thorns FC signed Equatorial Guinea striker Genoveva Añonma, who currently plays for Turbine Potsdam in the Frauen-Bundesliga. She will join the Thorns after the Frauen-Bundesliga season ends.
OregonLive’s Jamie Goldberg first reported the news.
“Ayo has a tremendous pedigree in front of goal and her goal scoring record is second to none in Europe,” Thorns FC head coach Paul Riley said. “She is bright on the ball, runs intelligently and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. She is highly motivated to play in this country and her work ethic will be embraced by the Thorns faithful.”
Añonma has played for Turbine Potsdam since 2011 and led the league in scoring in the 2011-12 season with 22 goals. That was part of a four-peat for Turbine Potsdam.
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Añonma captained Equatorial Guinea at the 2011 World Cup and scored the team’s only two goals of the tournament. Equatorial Guinea did not qualify for the 2015 World Cup.
Thorns coach Paul Riley also added English striker Jodie Taylor in a draft-day trade. Taylor is expected to miss several NWSL matches to play for England this year. Canadian forward Christine Sinclair, U.S. striker Alex Morgan, Spanish playmaker Vero Boquete and U.S. midfielder Tobin Heath will also miss time up front for Portland due to the World Cup.
“Together Ayo, Alex, Christine and Jodie give our front line some depth and talent with ability to keep our forwards fresh, hungry and firing on all cylinders,” Riley said. “Ayo is an exciting addition and we look forward to seeing her further develop in our training environment.”
