Nigerian professional footballer Asisat Oshoala
Nigerian striker Asisat Lamina Oshoala MON was born on October 9, 1994. She plays for the Nigeria women's national team and Spanish Liga F club FC Barcelona. She is widely recognised as one of the greatest African female footballers of all time and one of the finest in the world.
Asisat has previously played for the Nigerian clubs Rivers Angels and FC Robo, the Chinese club Dailan, and the English clubs Arsenal and Liverpool. With Arsenal, she won the FA Women's Cup in 2015; with Dalian, she won two league titles, a cup, the 2019–20 Copa de la Reina, and Supercopa de Espana Femenino with Barcelona in 2019–20.
She helped Barcelona go to the semifinals in three straight seasons and one final. She was the first African (and Nigerian) player to score in a UEFA Women's Champions League final. After Barcelona defeated Chelsea 4-0 in the championship match, Asisat became the first African woman to win the UEFA Champions League on May 16, 2021.
She made history by being the first African woman to win the Pichichi Trophy in the following season and to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or for the first time in August 2022.
At the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, Asisat scored the most goals and was voted the best player. She was also named second-best goalscorer and best player, behind the 2014 African Women's Championship Super Falcons team.
Oshoala received the Order of the Niger designation in September 2014 from Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. She was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2021. Oshoala joined Liverpool on January 23, 2015, in the Women's Super League of England. She was referred to as "one of the best young players in the world" by the club's manager, Matt Beard. Although there were rumours that she was interested in other teams, she was thrilled to join Liverpool. She was the first athlete from an African country to play in England's elite women's league.
Oshoala scored three goals in the nine games in which she appeared in 2015 despite missing two months of the campaign due to a knee ailment.
In a 4-1 loss to Lyon in the 2019 UEFA Women's Champions League Final, Oshoala scored Barcelona's lone goal. She scored the first goal in a Champions League Final by an African (and Nigerian). Oshoala made 19 appearances for Barcelona in the 2019–20 season, scoring 20 goals.
On September 19, 2019, she surpassed Atlético Madrid with a pair of goals, marking the start of her 2019–20 campaign.
In October, she helped Barcelona to a 4-0 victory over Madrid with a second brace. Oshoala scored four goals in a 6-0 victory over CD Tacon on January 11, 2020. With a perfect 19-0-2 record, Barcelona won the regular-season championship. Oshoala was second in the league with 20 goals.
In a 4-1 loss to Lyon in the 2019 UEFA Women's Champions League Final, Oshoala scored Barcelona's lone goal. She scored the first goal in a Champions League Final by an African (and Nigerian).
Oshoala made 19 appearances for Barcelona in the 2019–20 season, scoring 20 goals.
On September 19, 2019, she surpassed Atlético Madrid with a pair of goals, marking the start of her 2019–20 campaign.
In October, she helped Barcelona to a 4-0 victory over Madrid with a second brace. Oshoala scored four goals in a 6-0 victory over CD Tacon on January 11, 2020. With a perfect 19-0-2 record, Barcelona won the regular-season championship. Oshoala was second in the league with 20 goals.
Oshoala extended her contract with Barcelona by two years on March 10, 2022, keeping her in the club until June 30, 2024.
She has won the African Women's Footballer of the Year award five times, making her one of the most celebrated African female footballers in history.