Sports
From the Streets of Lagos to Global Icon: Asisat Oshoala’s Unbreakable Bond with Nigeria
In an exclusive interview, six-time African Women’s Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala reflects on her incredible journey from the streets of Lagos to global football superstardom. Exploring her deep Nigerian roots, her triumphs in Europe, and her new chapter with Al Hilal in the Saudi Women’s Premier League, Oshoala reveals that her true legacy lies in empowering the next generation of African girls.
There is a grounding force that tethers the world’s greatest athletes to their beginnings, no matter how far their talents take them.
For Asisat Oshoala, the trailblazing Nigerian striker whose boots have conquered continents, the compass always points back to Lagos.
As a six-time African Women’s Player of the Year, a UEFA Women’s Champions League winner, and now a marquee star in the Saudi Women’s Premier League, Oshoala’s life is a whirlwind of global travel and relentless expectation.
Yet, when asked about her anchor, her answer is immediate and absolute.
“I return home whenever I can. My parents live in Nigeria, and spending time with family is very important to me,” Oshoala says, her voice softening with a familiar warmth.
“Whenever I have a break, I prefer to go home and be with them. Family is everything.”
That family dynamic wasn’t always seamlessly aligned with her footballing dreams.
Like many African girls of her generation, the path to the pitch was paved with resistance.
“I am grateful to God for the family I come from. We were an average family, my basic needs were always met, and my parents did their best for me,” she reflects.
“My main struggle was convincing my parents to allow me to play football. At first, they wanted me to focus solely on education.”
“I even had to hide or lie occasionally just to go and play. I was an intelligent child and initially wanted to become a lawyer. My parents emphasised education because they believed strongly in it. Eventually, after the Under-20 World Cup, they fully supported my football career. I truly appreciate them for that.
Paving the Way for the Next Generation
When Oshoala looks at the footballing landscape in Nigeria today, she sees a world entirely different from the one she navigated as a determined child dodging her parents’ academic ambitions.
“I feel happy for the younger generation and the opportunities they now have,” she notes. “Growing up, I did not have those same opportunities, and there was not much advocacy for women’s football at the time.”
“We had to play with boys, on the streets, or at school with friends. There were no proper clubs or teams specifically created for girls. Today, however, the younger players are enjoying themselves and having fun within structured systems. I truly love that for them.”
The turning point for her, and arguably for modern African women’s football, was the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Oshoala dominated the tournament, sweeping the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards. Yet, the fierce competitor in her still agonises over the narrow loss in the final.
“I was happy, but at the same time, I was not completely happy on the day of the final because we lost.”
“Although I won the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot, it was a mixture of emotions for me,” she admits.
“Despite the disappointment of losing the final, that tournament became a major turning point in my career. It introduced me to the world as a young player from Nigeria and opened many doors for me. It was an incredible experience and an important stepping stone that shaped my journey moving forward.”
The Lonely Road to Greatness
Those open doors led her away from the familiar embrace of Lagos. From England to China, and eventually to the historic heights of FC Barcelona in Spain, Oshoala’s ascent required immense personal sacrifice.
“Leaving home at a young age was challenging. Living alone in a different country without friends or family was not easy. Even now in Saudi Arabia, I live alone without family around me,” she shares candidly.
“At the beginning, I saw it as an opportunity. As a young girl, I always wanted independence so I could focus fully on football. It gave me the freedom to grow and enjoy my career.”
“But as time passes, loneliness can set in. You begin to miss companionship and familiar surroundings. The biggest adjustment was learning how to live independently and adapt to new cultures. Thankfully, I first moved to an English-speaking country, which made the transition easier.”
The sacrifices bore historic fruit.
When she found the back of the net in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final, she didn’t just score a goal; she shattered a glass ceiling for African women.
“Scoring in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final was another emotional moment,” Oshoala recalls.
“It was special personally, but we lost the final, which made it bittersweet. Still, having the opportunity to play on such a big stage helped me understand European football culture and grow professionally”
Her time in Catalonia transcended her on-pitch statistics.
“Playing for Barcelona FC was a huge responsibility. It is one of the biggest stages in women’s football, with many young players looking up to you. There was pressure, of course, but I also enjoyed every moment. It was an eye-opener for many African girls, showing them that reaching the highest level of women’s football is possible with hard work and a bit of luck.”
National Pride and a New Frontier
Despite her club success, pulling on the green and white of the Super Falcons remains her ultimate honour.
Her six African Women’s Player of the Year crowns are a testament to her sustained brilliance, though she remains incredibly humble about the historic milestone.
“Winning the African Women’s Player of the Year award six times is an incredible honour. Sometimes, you lose count because you are simply focused on doing your job.”
“I am grateful to everyone who supports and votes for me. The journey to six awards has been remarkable. You never know what tomorrow brings, someone else may win seven or eight. The key is to remain consistent and continue giving your best.”
That consistency has driven Nigeria’s golden era.
“Every tournament is special to me because I give my all in every competition. Whether it is WAFCON or the World Cup, I approach each game with the same passion and energy because I genuinely love football,” she says.
“The 2023 World Cup in Australia stands out the most for me. Our match against Australia was particularly special, as well as the game against England.”
“Those performances showed how much the Nigerian team is evolving and improving with every competition. At WAFCON in Morocco, we experienced intense moments, especially when we were two goals down. Fighting back together and supporting one another made the victory even sweeter.”
Today, Oshoala’s journey has taken her to the Middle East, a move that aligns with both her professional ambitions and her personal faith.
Fans tracking her latest chapter can catch her lighting up the pitch in the Saudi Women’s Premier League, broadcast live on SuperSport’s dedicated AWSN channel.
As the premier destination for the very best in women’s sports, AWSN provides viewers with unparalleled access to elite athletes like Oshoala as they redefine the global game.
“Currently, I play for Al Hilal SFC. I love exploring new environments. Throughout my career, I have played across different continents—Europe, Asia, and beyond. Football allows you to experience new cultures and meet diverse people,” she explains.
“As a Muslim, moving to this part of the world also felt meaningful to me. Al Hilal is a top club in Asia, and I was motivated by the opportunity to experience a new challenge at a high level.”
A Legacy Beyond the Pitch
While her trophy cabinet is overflowing, Asisat Oshoala’s true legacy is being built off the field, back home where her story began.
Through the Asisat Oshoala Foundation, she is ensuring that the girls of tomorrow won’t have to hide their boots or lie to their parents to chase a dream.
“My foundation and academy are very special to me; I call them my babies,” she says with immense pride.”
“The foundation focuses on supporting girls in society by providing basic needs and promoting education. Through partnerships, including support from Nike during my time at Barcelona, we have been able to fund and sustain the project for several years.”
“I aim to give these girls opportunities I did not have growing up—balancing education and sport, building confidence, and preparing for a better future. It is a project very close to my heart.”
When the boots are finally hung up and the stadium lights fade, it won’t be the goals, the golden boots, or the accolades that Oshoala holds dearest. It will be the lives she changed.
“I would love to be remembered as someone who advocated for and protected the girl child, someone who empowered young girls through football and education. That would mean everything to me.”
Catch action from the Saudi Women’s Premier League live on SuperSport’s 24-hour AWSN Channel.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
At least for the next four seasons, DStv and GOtv subscribers are guaranteed access to all UEFA men’s club matches on SuperSport.
This is because CANAL+, the parent company of MultiChoice, which owns DStv and GOtv, has secured the exclusive broadcast rights to all UEFA men’s club competitions across Sub-Saharan Africa through 2031, ensuring SuperSport will continue to broadcast the UEFA Champions, Europa and Conference Leagues live to DStv and GOtv subscribers.
The four-season agreement, which begins with the 2027/28 campaign, covers more than 40 countries across the region and includes exclusive rights to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
In English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa, SuperSport will continue as the exclusive broadcaster of UEFA club competitions, bringing the continent’s biggest European club matches to DStv and GOtv subscribers. The agreement also restores full UEFA Champions League coverage on CANAL+ Sport channels in French-speaking Africa, alongside the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
The rights deal further strengthens CANAL+’s sports portfolio, which already includes major football competitions such as the Premier League, LALIGA EA SPORTS, Ligue 1, the Betway Premiership and the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026.
The agreement ensures football fans across Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to enjoy live coverage of Europe’s premier club competitions on SuperSport when the new rights cycle begins in 2027.
“We are very proud of this new partnership, which gives us exclusive rights to all UEFA Men’s Club competitions across more than 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“For four seasons, until 2031, our subscribers will enjoy the thrill of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League’s biggest matches. Today, CANAL+ offers the most attractive sports line-up across Sub-Saharan Africa, and the acquisition of these rights is a perfect illustration of that.
“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to UC3 and to the teams at Relevent for once again placing their trust in CANAL+, following our recent agreements in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland and Austria,” the chief executive of CANAL+, Mr Maxime Saada, stated.
The start of a football season always tricks people a little. Everything looks fresh. New shirts, new signings, clean tables, confident managers, fans talking themselves into hope again. Then the first few matches arrive, and half the predictions start wobbling. That is what makes early-season betting interesting. It is not tidy yet. Manchester City may still be Manchester City, but that does not mean they are sharp from the first whistle. Arsenal might look strong on paper and still need time to settle. Chelsea can have another summer full of noise and still leave bettors guessing. Real Madrid might have the stars, but even stars need minutes together. The first weeks are not about certainty. They are about spotting who is ready before the market fully catches up.
New Signings Need Time
Transfer excitement can make people rush. A new striker arrives at Arsenal and suddenly every goals market feels tempting. Manchester United sign a defender and people start talking about clean sheets. Chelsea add another expensive player and the same old question comes back: does this actually fix the team, or just add another name? Sometimes a signing changes everything quickly. More often, there is an awkward stage first. A forward needs to learn where the passes come from. A midfielder needs to understand the press. A centre-back needs to build trust with the goalkeeper and full-backs. That is why early-season betting after the Betway app download should not treat a new signing like a finished answer. The name matters, but the fit matters more.
World Cup Legs Will Matter
This season also carries the weight of the World Cup. Some players will come back flying. Some will come back flat. Some may start the season with managed minutes because their clubs cannot afford to burn them out early. That can change player markets fast. A bettor looking through the betway app before a weekend card should not only check the famous names in the lineup. Look at who played deep into the World Cup, who missed pre-season, who came back late, and who is being protected by the manager. A star on the pitch is not always a star at full speed.
Early Tables Can Lie
The first league table always looks more dramatic than it is. One big club drops points, and everyone starts asking if there is a crisis. One promoted side wins at home, and suddenly people talk about momentum. A striker scores twice, and the golden boot conversations begin before anyone has really learned anything. That noise can be useful, but only if bettors do not get swallowed by it. Early results need context. Did the team actually play well, or just finish two chances? Did they control the game, or survive pressure? Was the opponent missing key players? Did the manager rotate because of fitness?
Patience Beats The Big Prediction
The new season will settle. The strong teams will usually rise, the weaker squads will get exposed, and the table will start to make more sense. But the opening weeks are different. They are full of strange fitness levels, overhyped signings, tired stars and teams that are still trying to remember what they are meant to be. That is why betting on the upcoming season should start slowly. Do not fall in love with last season’s form. Do not trust every transfer story. Do not assume every World Cup star is ready to carry club football straight away. The value is often hiding in the messy part, before everyone else agrees what the season really looks like.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federation of the International Football Association (FIFA) will not proceed with its proposal to sell a piece of its business operations to outside investors after the project was met with fierce resistance from some of its member associations.
FIFA’s plan was to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling about a 20 per cent stake in a new unit that would run FIFA events, including the World Cup, valuing it at $20 billion.
The proposal was strongly opposed by the Union of the European Football Associations (UEFA), European football’s governing body, which voted on Thursday to boycott FIFA competitions. There was also opposition from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the English FA.
In a statement, UEFA said that it was “irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret”.
The Switzerland-based organisation’s statement also accused FIFA of putting the sport’s “soul” up for sale.
“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement announcing the cancellation.
“Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”
UEFA welcomed the decision to scrap it but said it had lost confidence in FIFA’s current leadership, while AFC, while welcoming the decision, said that it expected any initiative of such magnitude to be discussed with its members in a “timely, transparent and meaningful manner”.
Mr Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro had resigned with immediate effect, calling the plan “a bad deal for football”.
FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour said staff were “deceived” by Mr Infantino, describing the proposal as a “project of one person”.
The development has now raised eyebrows against the FIFA President, especially his relationship with US President Donald Trump.
The planned FIFA private investment scheme involved Mr Joshua Kushner, the founder of Thrive Capital, who would lead the proposed venture capital group via a fund called Thrive Eternal. He is the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Trump.
Mr Infantino said in April he would seek a fourth term as FIFA president, with the election scheduled to take place in Morocco on March 18 next year.
The deadline for potential candidates to declare in a presidential vote of the 211 members is November 18.
Observers now wonder if there will be fresh competition to the Swiss’ ambition to lead the world’s football authority for another
