Mercy earned the nickname "Ske", which in local parlance meant "skinny", while playing against boys at Mile 1 in Port Harcourt.
Among her many admirers then was a young kid called Chidi Odiah, who is now a full Nigeria international, playing club football with CSKA Moscow.
One of those friendly games was against elite team Jegede Babes, and although the Queens lost 6–1, Akide scored the only goal for her side.
Akide joined Jegede Babes just as Nigeria were taking part in the inaugural Women's World Cup in China in 1991.
With an already established strike force in place, Akide was moved to central midfield for the 1992 season where she took time to adjust.
By the time the season was over, Akide had earned a scholarship to Milligan College in Tennessee, United States, after a scintillating World Cup performance with the Super Falcons.
Her international debut came soon after, a World Cup qualifier against Sierra Leone in Ibadan with Mercy playing as a winger.
In November 2004, she married football journalist Colin Udoh[8] in her home town of Port Harcourt.