Nigerian female football star, Asisat Oshoala has been named among a roll call of ten biggest revelations in FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup history, with her exploits from the 2014 edition cited afresh, as she helped Nigeria reach the final in glorious style.
Sports247 reports that Oshoala (aka Agba Baller) went on to feature at senior level with the Super Falcons im the same 2014 and was voted as African Young Women’s Footballer of The Year, in what marked the beginning of many days and moments of glory ahead of her.
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Remarkably, Oshoala was named best player at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and was also top scorer at the tournament with seven goals, following which she was similarly named best player and second top scorer with the senior squad that won the 2014 African Women’s Championship.
With another edition of the Female Youth Mundiial now set to begin in Poland this weekend, and Nigeria among an expanded roll call of 16 countries, a preview by fifa.com ranked Oshoala among revelations of the past who now serve as inspiration for kids of today.
A well-scripted and long citation for the product of FC Robo Queens of Lagos read in part, “One of the greatest-ever female African footballers, Asisat Oshoala has utilised her prolific goalscoring talents to become a trailblazer in the women’s game.
“The six-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year has won no fewer than four Women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles. But it is on the international stage where she has left a lasting legacy, becoming the first African to play in the English top-flight with Liverpool.
“(She then had) trophy-laden stints with Arsenal, Chinese club Dalian Quanjian, Liga F giants Barcelona and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Bay FC. Now at Saudi club Al Hilal, the 31-year-old has scored 40 goals over 74 appearances for the Nigerian senior team.
“After giving up a potential career as a lawyer to pursue her passion for football, Oshoala put the world on notice at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014. The forward began the tournament slowly, scoring just once in the group stages, before exploding into life in the knockouts with a brace against New Zealand in the quarter-finals and then an incredible four-goal haul against Korea DPR in the semis.
“Nigeria finished runners-up, losing 1-0 to Germany in extra time, but Oshoala cemented her status as one of the rising stars in the women’s game, winning both the adidas Golden Boot and Golden Ball following a string of stunning displays.
“Oshoala had already played a handful of times for the senior team prior to Canada 2014 and continued where she left off by winning her first WAFCON title with Nigeria just two months later.
“Oshoala was then selected to her first FIFA Women’s World Cup at Canada 2015, where she scored her maiden goal in the 3-3 draw with Sweden. She took her game to another level at France 2019, scoring one of the (best) goals of the tournament against Korea Republic.
“Nigeria reached the knockout rounds for the first time since 1999 (and), in scoring against co-hosts Australia in 2023, Oshoala made history as the first African to find the net in three Women’s World Cups, (but she will) miss out on a fourth tournament after Nigeria failed to qualify for Brazil 2027.”
