Nigeria’s Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala is now the first African woman to win the highest goal scorer gong in the Spanish Primera Division since it began in 2011.
The feat was confirmed on Sunday after Barcelona Femeni finished the season with a perfect tally of 30 wins — with no loss or draw. They defeated Atletico Madrid 2-1 at Estadi Johan Cruyff.
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Oshoala, 27, scored 20 goals in 19 league appearances for Barcelona Femeni and will share the award with Geyse Ferreira of Madrid CFF, who netted 20 goals in 27 appearances.
In the game that saw both teams reduced to ten players, Oshoala who switched to Barcelona in July 2019 from Arsenal, for whom she made 13 league appearances in total, scoring two goals was introduced in the 63rd minute. She had replaced Jenifer Hermoso.
Barcelona scored through Irene Paredes in the 11th minute before Aitana Bonmati made it 2-0 in the 23rd minute. Amanda Sampedro pulled a goal back for Atletico in the 64th minute but this was after their player Merel van Dongen has been sent off for a second bookable offence.
The football striker achieved the feat despite missing three months of the season due to recurring injuries.
Her goals also helped Barcelona to win the league title unbeaten with 30 wins in 30 games. The team scored 159 goals and conceded only 11.
Barcelona and Oshoala will now shift their focus to the Uefa Women’s Champions League final where they are scheduled to take on Lyon at Juventus Stadium on May 21.
They will play Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Copa de la Reina at Santo Domingo four days later.
Wikipedia reports that Oshoala who is the captain of the Nigerian senior female team launched the Asisat Oshoala Foundation in 2019 focused on empowering girl footballers in Africa.[70][71] The foundation hosts the annual Asisat Oshoala Foundation Football4girls tournament in Lagos.[72] She is a NIKE Ambassador.[73] In 2021, she was named to Forbes 30 Under 30.[9] In October 2021, she was appointed unto FIFA’s technical advisory group on the growth and advancement of women’s football. The grouped is headed by Jill Ellis and has fellow African Doreen Nabwire also as a member.[74][75]
Oshoala recounts that her parents were not supportive when she dropped out of school to pursue a football career.[76]
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