Asisat Oshoala is already in the history of Nigerian football since her last goal against Australia, which made her the only African player to score in three editions of the Women’s World Cup. Against England, Monday August 7, she will have the opportunity to become much more by helping her team to qualify for the quarters, and perhaps to become the top scorer in the history of her selection.
4 mins
The star striker of Nigeria and FC Barcelona, Asisat Oshoala, will only play the round of 16 of the World Cup on Monday August 7 against England. However, she has already marked the history of the competition on her own scale. In Australia, she became the first African player to score in three editions, thanks to her achievement against the host country (3-2) and one of the favorites of the competition. Before that, the 28-year-old scored against Sweden in 2015 and against South Korea in 2019.
“ She’s a class above the rest and she proved it with what she showed when she wasn’t 100 per cent fit, she still came off the bench in Brisbane to inspire a historic win over australia “, explained to AFP Tobi Peters, a journalist who follows his career from FC Robo and Rivers Angels, his first clubs in Nigeria.
A week after the start of the tournament, on July 27, the celebration of his record goal was already one of the images of the tournament : mouth wide open, she took off her dark green jersey and triumphed in a bra. ” My father is not happy at all, but life is a collection of moments “, she then commented on Instagram.
Executive in selection and in club
Not the first time that the Barça player ignores the moods of her parents. Before becoming an international player, Oshoala challenged them in her youth. She chose to drop out of school to focus on football full time. And it paid off dramatically.
In 2014, she exploded onto the international scene, named top scorer and best player at the Under-20 World Cup. Barely out of her teens, she signed for Liverpool in 2015. She then became the first African to play in the English Women’s Super League.
Asisat is not only a source of pride for Nigeria, but for all of Africa
After which she signed up with Arsenal the following year, with whom she won the FA Cup at Wembley. A stint in China then, before joining Barcelona in 2019, where she has already won two C1s and where she is now a major player. She has scored more than twenty goals there each season and has been her club’s top scorer for the past two years.
An all-around attacker, Oshoala, nicknamed “Super Zee”, is known for her power and speed. But also for his often intelligent movements, both with and without the ball. “ Asisat is not only a source of pride for Nigeria, but for all of Africa “Alao Salami, a fan based in Lagos, also told AFP. “ It is a great role model, which has inspired a growing number of young footballers, men and women. »
Another record to go for
Historic moments like her last goal, she could still live in Oceania, and why not against the English in the round of 16 in Brisbane. She still has a pawn to register to become the top scorer of her country in the history of a World Cup. And she could well add a sixth title of African player of the year to her list.
A goal to achieve that could well help the Super Falcons. The only African nation to have participated in all editions of the World Cup, they have never gone beyond the quarter-finals. To achieve this, coach Randy Waldrum will need his striker in great shape.
Read alsoKgatlana, the South African striker who pushed back the mourning to play the Women’s World Cup
“ She puts a lot of pressure on herself because she loves Nigeria and she wants Nigeria to succeed on the world stage “, he said before the World Cup. But “ when you have Oshoala you have a chance against any team “, he predicted, managing to get out of a difficult group, with Australia, Olympic champion Canada and Ireland. Next stop, the formidable English.
(With AFP)