Now if only she could get rid of this impetuous, sometimes headless character from her game.

If only she could channel her power better in favor of a little more economy in her actions.

That's what many in the women's soccer scene thought as they watched Nicole Anyomi kick the ball.

Kicken, because even as a professional she cannot hide her roots as a street player with and against mostly boys.

And because their way of playing can give a match a real kick.

Nicole Anyomi hadn't really felt part of the German national team in the past few months.

A protracted, initially not properly cured (keyword: impetuous) knee injury caused her enormous problems.

As a convalescent dissatisfied with herself and the football world, she started at her new club, the up-and-coming Eintracht Frankfurt, in the summer.

The re-entry was achieved through short appearances, so far the 22-year-old has not completed a Bundesliga game over 90 minutes in this round.

Their premiere over the full distance 2021/22 then on Sunday on the big stage: for Germany in the 0-1 defeat against Olympic champions Canada.

With a remarkably good Nicole Anyomi on offense.

"She did really well.

She's a win for us," said national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg.

"How much speed she has!

How she can hurt the opponent!"

Born in Krefeld, she wasn't actually part of the squad for the Arnold Clark Cup, a four-country tournament with top nations in England a few months before the start of the European Championship there.

But like so many others, Anyomi slipped into the squad due to 14 corona or injury-related cancellations for the national coach.

Opportunity recognized, opportunity seized with their personal “Four wins”.

Her fourth international was something of a breakthrough.

She was sure of the ball, agile and at the same time bold, determined and robust.

And not at all excited about what her weakness is, which she is open about.

On the day of the match, she is always “mega nervous” and gets goosebumps “everywhere when she enters the field,” she says.

"Then I think to myself: Nici, that can't be true.

I want to stay relaxed and stress myself less.”

Anyomi put the Canadians, who are among the international elite, under a lot of stress with her powerful runs with and without the ball.

And being easygoing off matchday is in their nature.

Eintracht trainer Niko Arnautis describes them as “cool socks and a great guy who brings a good atmosphere to a team”.

She comes across as pure and heartfelt in conversation, and not only her playing style is powerful, but also her loud laughter.

Nicole Anyomi paved her way to the top herself, sometimes fighting to free herself.

She knows everyday racism

Women's football is still a long way from the sometimes padded world that male juniors enjoy in youth academies.

At the age of 13, she took long bus and train journeys alone to every training session.

She was confronted early on with everyday racism in this country - she can tell of unambiguous looks, of people who walk away from her on public transport, up to and including insults.

After the killing of African American George Floyd, she was the first in German women's football to set an example.

After a goal for her then club SGS Essen, she didn't celebrate, but knelt down.

In the national team, she now appeared in her prime role as a dynamic player.

As a ray of hope in a German team that didn't lack commitment in the second tournament game, but still lacked structure from which to develop speed and sharpness.

They had previously drawn 1-1 against strong Spaniards, with Nicole Anyomi coming on as a substitute.

The superwoman, whose parents come from Ghana and Togo, now regarded the defeat against Canada as "very unhappy".

On Wednesday (8.30 p.m., live stream on zdf.de) the tournament ends against hosts England.