The six-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year and Super Falcons striker, Asisat Oshoala is simply a phenomenon and a footballer who deserves all accolades. Widely regarded as one of the greatest African female footballers of all time and one of the best in the world, she is one of the most celebrated African female footballers of all time, having won African Women’s Footballer of the Year a record six times.
Born on October 9, 1994, Oshoala hails from Ikorodu in Lagos State, Nigeria.
She started her first season in the Barcelona female first team in 2019 and ended it in 2024. Playing as a striker in Barcelona, she has four league titles to her name, four Spanish Super Cups, three Spanish cups, two UEFA Women’s Champions Leagues, and one Catalunya Cup.
Over six seasons at Barca, she registered 117 goals in 161 games played. The major international tournaments she has participated in include, Women’s World Cup (2015 and 2019), Cyprus Womans Cup (2018), Africa Cup 2018 (Winner), Under Under-20 World Cup (2014, runner-up, and 2012).
Her career path started in 2009 with FC Robo, continued with Rivers Angels from 2013 to 2015, Liverpool Ladies from 2015 to 2016, Arsenal Ladies from 2016 to 2017, Dalian Quanjian FC from 2017 to 2019, FC Barcelona from 2019 to 2024, and now signed with Bay FC.
The Barcelona female team describes Oshola as “a quick and strong striker who during her spell in China demonstrated her nose for goal.”
They noted that “she was part of the first team in the history of the club to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League. She also went down in football history by winning the first treble in club history.”
The relentless striker is also notable for her feats for the Super Falcons of Nigeria (Nigeria’s women’s team). Oshoala has to her name one CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations won in 2018 in Ghana.
She won the 2015 FA Women’s Cup with Arsenal; two league championships and a cup title with Dalian; and the 2019–20 Copa de la Reina and 2019–20 Supercopa de España Femenina with Barcelona. She was the first African player to score a goal in a UEFA Women’s Champions League final and has helped Barcelona reach the semi-finals for three consecutive years, and one final. On 16 May 2021, Asisat became the first African woman to win the UEFA Champions League, after Barcelona defeated Chelsea 4–0 in the finals. The following season, she became the first African woman to win the Primera División‘s Pichichi Trophy, and in August 2022 became the first African woman nominated to the Ballon d’Or.
Asisat was the highest goal scorer at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and was named the best player at the tournament. She was also named best player and second top goal scorer with the Super Falcons team who won the 2014 African Women’s Championship.
Titles and individual awards
Aiteo Award for Best CAF Player 2017; BBC Footballer of the Year 2015, Queen of The Pitch Award 2014; African female footballer of the year: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019; African female player of the year 2014; Golden Ball of the 2014 African Women’s Championship; Golden Boot of the 2016 African Women’s Championship; 2014 U-20 Women’s World Cup gold boot; 2014 U-20 Women’s World Cup Gold Ball; Top scorer in the 2017 Chinese Women’s League, among others.
In September 2014, Oshoala was made a Member of the Order of the Niger by President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan. In 2021, she was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30. She is popularly called “Àgba Baller”, which means in her local parlance, “Legendary Footballer”.
In July 2023, after her group stage heroics against Australia in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Oshoala saw a massive increase in her Instagram followership which made her become the first African female footballer to have a million followers on the social media platform.
