Stephanie Zambara (nee Roche) the Irish football striker from Shankill, who had 55 caps for Ireland and 13 goals made news headlines in 2014 after scoring a spectacular goal for Peamount from outside the box. For her efforts, Stephine received a nomination for the FIFA Puskás Award, where she came runner up to James Rodriguez. However, the media’s attention was not focused on the fact that she came second, but rather on the rumour that she was either Ronaldo’s girlfriend or that she must have broken up Ronaldo’s relationship. Both of these assertions were founded in nothing but speculation, after Ronaldo was seen gawking at her as she walked with both him and Messi. From this point on, people began to support the idea of Stephanie and Ranaldo being a couple. Unfortunately, this took away from Stephaine’s momentous achievement of being the first Irish footballer to be nominated for the award
Stephanie Zambara played a pivotal role in changing the views on how women’s football are viewed in Ireland with her advocacy for equality in the sport. Her goal in 2013 created a lot of media attention, and encouraged way more media coverage for women’s football games in Ireland. Subsequently, this generated more conversation about women’s football and the abilities of women in football. Stephaine also played a major role in raising awareness for the struggles that women in sport have to face by showcasing her talent on and off the international stage. She has inspired a young generation of female players and many more young girls were encouraged to play sport.
Zambara has become a symbol of determination and perseverance. Unfortunately, women’s football is somewhat underdeveloped in Ireland, with women receiving less resources, less opportunities and lower pay than their equivalent male counterparts. However, this has not deterred Zambara, she has transcended these obstacles and has achieved success both for her clubs and country. Her career has led her to be an idol to young Irish girls, who wish to one day be as good as she is. She is also an amazing pundit and very often features on rte for punditry, reminding the country that women can commentate on games as well. After a devastating injury back in 2018, she made her way back to the league of Ireland in 2020 to play for Peamount and then joined her teammate Aine O Gorman in Tallaght at Shamrock Rovers.
Stephaine continues to use her platform to advocate for equality between Irish women and men in football. Her involvement in various campaigns for women in sport further highlights her commitment to improving the visibility and opportunities for female athletes. Notably, her impact extends beyond her talent and advocacy. She is an extremely relatable player, her personality and humility have earned her an immense amount of respect from managers, teammates, opponents, fans and others. Her many positive attributes make it easy to idolise her on and off the pitch.
As she hung up her boots for the last time in Tallaght stadium, Zambara’s tally had reached 55 Irish caps and 13 international goals, playing in 4 of the 5 highest leagues in women’s football. She is a two time golden boot and all star winner, as well as being a part of the side that became the first Irish team to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League. With all of this in mind, it is fair to say that she has left a legacy that will inspire so many girls and women, and in my humble opinion, she is an Irish sporting legend.