As she had thought her father might not appreciate her explosive celebration during the victory against Australia (3-2) at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Asisat Oshoala’s father reassured his daughter that her expression “was a result of her emotions.”
While Nigeria was eliminated prematurely from the 2023 Women’s World Cup, beaten by England in the Round of 16, the West African powerhouse has nothing to be ashamed of in terms of their performance.
Facing a challenging start with a draw against Canada in their opening match, the Super Falcons rebounded on the second day with a stunning comeback victory against the host nation Australia (3-2).
Asisat Oshoala, the Barcelona forward, had scored the winning goal for Nigeria. It was a magnificent goal, and she took off her jersey as part of her celebration, which drew criticism from online users.
After the match, Asisat posted photos of her joyous moment on her Instagram page, mentioning how she was sure her father wouldn’t be pleased with her action but that life works that way. Her statement was quickly picked up by Alhaji Oshoala, who wanted to reassure his daughter. “It was an outpouring of emotions and was not intentional. I am proud of my daughter. What I said to her is between my daughter and me,” he told BBC Sport Africa.
Alhaji Oshoala also confessed that he had planned for his children to go to school rather than play football. “We didn’t see a bright future for her in football, and I had planned to ensure that all my children reach a high level of education and do better than us parents,” he added.
At 28 years old, Asisat Oshoala remains Nigeria’s most decorated female footballer. She gained international recognition during the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and embarked on a European journey in 2015 when she joined Liverpool Ladies. About a year later, she moved to Arsenal in 2016 before heading to China to play for Dalian Quanjian in 2017.
Returning to Europe in 2019, the Ikorodu native signed with FC Barcelona Feminine, where she won three Primera División titles, two UEFA Women’s Champions League titles, three Supercopa de España Femenina titles, and three Copa de la Reina titles.
After scoring against Australia in the group stage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, she became the first Nigerian female footballer to score in three different World Cup tournaments.
