Esther Okoronkwo Nets Historic Hattrick as AFC Toronto Cruise into NSL Final
Nigerian forward Esther Okoronkwo produced a dazzling performance on Monday night (Tuesday morning Nigerian time), scoring a first-half hat-trick to lead AFC Toronto to a commanding 4–1 victory over Montreal Roses in the second semifinal of the Northern Super League (NSL) playoffs at the York Lions Stadium.
The result sealed a 6–1 aggregate win for Toronto, sending them through to the inaugural NSL final, where they will face Vancouver Rise FC at the BMO Field on November 15.
Okoronkwo wasted no time making her mark, netting three goals within the opening 27 minutes to effectively end the visitors’ hopes. She opened the scoring in the 7th minute after slotting home a clever pass from Kaylee Hunter, before doubling the lead 14 minutes later with a spectacular direct free-kick. Her third came in the 27th minute, as she dribbled past two defenders to complete her treble and etch her name into the record books as the fastest player to score a hat-trick in NSL history.
Montreal Roses managed a consolation through Tanya Boychuk in the 74th minute, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed when Lauren Rowe added a fourth for Toronto in the 83rd minute to seal a dominant display.
Head coach Marko Milanović hailed his team’s performance, describing it as a “complete effort.”
“We had good energy and played with intensity,” Milanović said after the match. “Even though we were up 3–0 at halftime, the message was to keep pushing. The players showed great discipline and hunger.”
Okoronkwo, who was substituted in the 66th minute to a standing ovation, was later presented with the Player of the Match award and the match ball in recognition of her heroics.
The Nigerian international’s outstanding form continues a remarkable year in her career. She has also been nominated for the 2025 CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award, where she will battle Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade and other top African stars for the coveted honour.
AFC Toronto will now aim to crown their impressive debut season with silverware when they take on Vancouver Rise in the much-anticipated NSL Championship Final.
