Oshoala’s Legacy: From NWFL to world icon, and the future she inspired

When the squad list for the Super Falcons’ double-header friendlies against Cameroon was released, fans couldn’t help but ask: “Where is Asisat Oshoala?”

But the bigger question is: Will we witness another Asisat Oshoala emerge from the NWFL and ascend to the global stage?

What Oshoala has achieved extends beyond building a remarkable career, she’s created a blueprint. She has inspired a generation of African girls to believe that football isn’t just a dream, but a destiny.

From the dusty pitches of Lagos to the grandest stages in world football, Asisat Lamina Oshoala has not only conquered the game, she has redefined what it means to be a trendsetter, a baller, and a legend.

Nicknamed “Seedorf” after Clarence Seedorf and affectionately called “Superzee” by her teammates, Oshoala found early success as a forward for Nigeria’s youth teams, though she made most of her senior national team appearances initially as an attacking midfielder.

Asisat Oshoala’s international rise began at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, where she was named both Best Player and Top Scorer. Later that year, she helped the Super Falcons win the African Women’s Championship, earning the Best Player award again and finishing as the second-highest goal scorer.

In 2015, she made history as both the first teenager and the first African woman to win the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award.

Over the years, she has won the CAF Women’s Player of the Year a record six times: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2023.

She added two more African Women’s Championship titles in 2016 and 2018, winning the Golden Boot in the 2016 edition.

At the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, her goal against host nation Australia on July 27, 2023, made her the first Nigerian to score in three consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cups (2015, 2019, 2023), and the first African to do so in three editions.

Her club career began with FC Robo Queens in the Nigeria Women Football League, before moving to Rivers Angels, where she won the NWFL title and Federation Cup in both 2013 and 2014.

She then moved to England, signing with Liverpool Women and becoming the first Nigerian woman to play in the English top flight. She later joined Arsenal, where she lifted the 2015/16 Women’s FA Cup at Wembley.

China came calling, and Oshoala answered. She joined Dalian Quanjian, winning two league titles and one domestic cup.

In 2019, she signed with FC Barcelona Femení and entered a golden era. She won five Primera División titles, four Supercopa de España Femenina titles, four Copa de la Reina trophies, and three UEFA Women’s Champions League titles, scoring 117 goals in 163 appearances.

Oshoala also set several records: first African woman to score in a UEFA Women’s Champions League Final, first to win the league’s Golden Boot (2021/22), and first African woman nominated for the Ballon d’Or Féminin in 2022. She also became the first African player to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League on three occasions.

In 2024, she joined Bay FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), continuing her trailblazing journey and inspiring future generations of African footballers across the globe.

Her achievements go far beyond the pitch. Raised in a conservative household that disapproved of her football dreams, Oshoala faced rejection and hardship. “Sometimes I had to lie to my parents just to go train,” she told BBC Sport. “If my dad saw me, I’d run away so he wouldn’t stop me.”

Eventually, she left home to live with her grandmother, where she found the support and freedom to pursue football seriously.

In 2013, Asisat Oshoala made her senior debut for Nigeria in a friendly match against Japan. In 2014, she was awarded the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) by President Goodluck Jonathan. In 2021, she was named to Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 list.

She founded the Asisat Oshoala Academy, a project launched in partnership with Nike and Women Win, to provide girls in Lagos with football training and essential life skills.

She’s not just collecting accolades; she’s changing perceptions, shaping narratives, and proving what’s possible when talent meets opportunity.

From the NWFL to the NWSL, from Lagos to the world, Asisat Oshoala’s journey is one of unbreakable spirit and untamed excellence. Popularly called “Àgba Baller,” meaning “Legendary Footballer,” she has earned her place as not just one of the greatest African female footballers, but one of the best in the world.

Somewhere right now in Lagos, Kaduna, Lafia, or Aba, the next Asisat Oshoala may be lacing her boots. Until then, we celebrate the woman who paved the way.