From Korça to the National Team: The journey of a new talent

One of the most promising names is Angela Nika, the 18-year-old center-back from Korça, who has already made her mark both with clubs and with the Albanian youth national teams.

Invited to the show “Wake Up with MCN”, Angela shares her football journey and her ambitions for the future.

“I’ve always had a connection with sports, I loved it from a young age. My father, who had played football when he was young, supported my passion right away, unlike my mother, who hesitated at first.

I’ve always adored sports, especially football. Since I was little, I was the girl who played with boys and scored goals.

When I was around 15, I received my first call-up from the national team. After finishing 9th grade, I decided to move to Tirana to have more opportunities and to be part of a more competitive team.

I was a bit of a ‘tomboy’, different from the other girls in the neighborhood. At first, everyone was surprised, now they’re used to it.

It has never bothered me; football is my passion and I don’t care about anything else. My biggest dream is to debut with Albania’s senior national team and to play abroad for a professional club.

I want to represent myself and my country with pride. My idol is Cristiano Ronaldo, for the way he works tirelessly, even at his age.

I am also very inspired by Lamine Yamal, we’re the same age, and he’s the perfect example of what you can achieve with hard work and relentless training. This motivates me even more.

Some players from the national team have flirted with me, but I won’t mention names. I want my partner to be a footballer. They move around a lot, but they’re great,” Nika concluded.

"KORCA BOOM"