Tahnai Annis was born on June 20, 1989 in Ohio in the United States.[2][3] She was born to Rusty and Myla Annis. Rusty is a South Bend, Indiana native while Myla is a Filipino woman who hails from Quezon City.[4][5] From 1993 to 1996, the Annis family lived in Columbus, Ohio where the Annis patriarch worked as a physical therapist at Southern Indiana Orthopedics (SIO). The family moved to Zanesville after the Columbus Regional Hospital bought SIO.[4]
Annis played for the women's soccer team of the University of Florida at NCAA Division I from 2008 to 2011. She scored a total of 38 goals and made 16 assists in 96 matches for the Gators. In 2008, Annis became part of the SEC All-Freshman Team and SoccerBuzz.com Freshman All-America squad and in 2010 was also an All-American and member of the Southeastern Conference's All-Second Team.[6]
She played professionally for Þór/KA of the Úrvalsdeild kvenna, the top flight women's league in Iceland, from 2012 to 2014. She helped the club win the league title in 2012 and earned the club's 2013 MVP award.[6] She has played at the UEFA Women's Champions League with the Icelandic club.[7] Annis left the club in 2014.[3]
Annis returned to Þór/KA in January 2023. She signed a one-year contract with the team.[3][8] For most of 2024, she would reflect if she was still able to play competitive football. She announced her retirement from professional football by the end of the year citing her age.[9][10]
International career
Annis presents Philippine president Bongbong Marcos with a football signed by the players of the Philippines women's team after winning the 2022 AFF Women's Championship, July 20, 2022
Tahnai Annis was potentially eligible to play for the Philippines women's national football team through her Filipino mother. She joined an identification camp in California in 2015. However, her international career was delayed by the fact that her mother is already naturalized American citizen at the time of Tahnai's birth. Her mother had to apply for a dual citizenship.[4]
She joined the national team in January 2018 in a training camp in the United States and eventually named as part of the final roster of the Philippines for the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup in Jordan and was designated as captain.[5] Annis was able to obtain a Philippine passport in time for the tournament.[4]Patrice Impelido also serves as co-captain for the national team for the continental tournament.[1]
In the Philippines' first group stage match against host Jordan which ended in a 2–1 win, Annis had her first international cap.[11] Annis scored her first goal for the Philippines in their 2–1 win against Nepal in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifiers held in September 2021.[12]
Annis also led the Philippine squad that won its first ever ASEAN Football Federation tournament title as its captain – the 2022 AFF Women's Championship.[13]
She announced her retirement from professional football in December 2024.[10] She last played in April 2024 in two pair of friendlies against South Korea.[14][15]
Coaching career
The women's soccer team of Averett University had Annis as their assistant coach.[6] Annis was also part of the coaching staff of the Philippines U17 team led by head coach Sinisa Cohadzic which competed in the 2024 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup[16]
^ abFurio, Venice (host), Annis, Tahnai (guest) (December 28, 2024). S05E03 – Filipinas Captain Tahnai Annis | Special Episode. Futbol Brew. Event occurs at 2:15–2:38, 3:48–4:12. Archived from the original(Podcast) on December 28, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024 – via YouTube. My announcement of retiring from international and professional football...
^"Tahnai Annis". Athlete Ally. Retrieved October 25, 2020. I grew up in an environment and during a time in which it was very difficult for me to accept myself and live my truth.
