Asisat Lamina Oshoala (born 9 October 1994) is a Nigerian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Spanish Liga F club FC Barcelona and the Nigeria women’s national team. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest African female soccer players of all time and one of the best in the world. She has won the African Women’s Footballer of the Year award a record five times and was nominated for the Ballon d’Or in 2022.
Early life and Education.
Oshoala was born in Ikorodu, Lagos State, to a Muslim family. She has three siblings: two brothers and a sister. Her father, Abdulrahman Oshoala, is a businessman and her mother, Aishat Oshoala, is a homemaker. Oshoala attended Air Force Primary School and Aunty Ayo International School in Lagos. She initially wanted to pursue a music career, but her parents did not support her dream. She then switched her focus to soccer, which she loved since childhood. She played soccer with boys in the streets and joined a local club called FC Robo at the age of 11.
Career.
Oshoala started her professional career with Rivers Angels FC in Nigeria, where she won two league titles and one cup title. She also represented Nigeria at the U-20 level, where she was the top scorer and the best player at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada. She helped Nigeria reach the final, where they lost to Germany.
In January 2015, Oshoala moved to England and joined Liverpool in the Women’s Super League. She became the first African to play in the league and scored three goals in nine appearances. However, she suffered a knee injury that sidelined her for two months and missed the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.
In March 2016, Oshoala signed for Arsenal, where she won the FA Women’s Cup in May 2016. She scored twice in the final against Chelsea and was named the player of the match. She also scored two goals in 11 league games for Arsenal.
In February 2017, Oshoala left Arsenal and joined Dalian Quanjian FC in China. She won two league titles and one cup title with Dalian and scored 23 goals in 20 games. She also won the Golden Boot award in 2017.
In January 2019, Oshoala joined Barcelona on loan until the end of the season. She scored seven goals in seven games for Barcelona and became the first African to score in a UEFA Women’s Champions League final, where Barcelona lost to Lyon.
In May 2019, Oshoala signed a permanent contract with Barcelona until 2022. She has since become one of the key players for Barcelona, scoring 83 goals in 89 games as of February 2023. She has won the Copa de la Reina and the Supercopa de España Femenina with Barcelona in 2020. She also became the first African woman to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League with Barcelona in 2021, after they defeated Chelsea 4-0 in the final.
Oshoala has also been a regular member of the Nigeria women’s national team since 2013. She has played in four editions of the African Women’s Championship, winning three titles (2014, 2016, and 2018) and finishing as runner-up once (2020). She has also played in three editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, reaching the round of 16 twice (2015 and 2019). She has scored 31 goals in 63 caps for Nigeria as of July 2023.
Asisat Oshoala’s Instagram Handle.
Aspirations.
Oshoala has stated that her aspirations are to inspire young girls in Africa to pursue their dreams and to achieve more success with Barcelona and Nigeria. She has also expressed her desire to play in the Olympics someday and to win more individual awards such as the Ballon d’Or.
Net Worth.
Oshoala’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 million as of 2023. She earns an annual salary of $200,000 from Barcelona and also has endorsement deals with Nike, Pepsi, MTN, and others.
Awards.
Oshoala has won several awards throughout her career, both individually and collectively. Some of her notable awards are:
- African Women’s Footballer of the Year: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020.
- BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year: 2015.
- Member of the Order of the Niger: 2014.
- Forbes Africa Under-30: 2021.
- UEFA Women’s Champions League: 2020–21.
- Primera División Pichichi Trophy: 2020–21.
- FA Women’s Cup: 2015–16.
- Chinese Women’s Super League: 2017, 2018.
- Copa de la Reina: 2019–20.
- Supercopa de España Femenina: 2019–20.
- African Women’s Championship: 2014, 2016, 2018.
- FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Golden Boot and Golden Ball: 2014.
Age.
Oshoala is 28 years old as of October 2023.
Cars and Houses.
Oshoala owns a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon and a Range Rover Sport. She also has a mansion in Lagos and an apartment in Barcelona.
Relationship Status.
Oshoala is single and has not publicly revealed any details about her personal life. She has said that she is focused on her career and does not have time for distractions.
FAQs on Asisat Oshoala.
Asisat Oshoala is yet to win a baton d’or but on August 2022 she became the first African woman nominated to the Ballon d’Or and she also currently nominated in the 2023 in the 30-member shortlist.
Asisat Oshoala is yet to be get married but rumour says she’s in a relationship with Abu Azeez from Warri Wolves F.C which is yet to be confirmed by the football superstar
Oshoala enjoys listening to music, watching movies, reading books, and playing video games.
Oshoala has cited her grandmother as her role model, who supported her passion for soccer and encouraged her to pursue her dreams.
Oshoala loves Nigerian dishes such as jollof rice, egusi soup, and pounded yam.
Oshoala is a Muslim and often celebrates Islamic festivals such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Oshoala is popularly called “Àgba Baller”, which means “Legendary Footballer” in her local parlance.
