FC Barcelona Extend Asisat Oshoala’s Contract

ILESANMI TOMISIN ADELEKE

It is now official that the most decorated Nigerian women footballer, captain of Nigerian senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, Asisat Oshoala, has been given an extension of the contract by her Spain’s club, FC Barcelona Femini. 

The new contract will see Asisat Oshoala playing for the Spanish women’s league club side till 30 June 2024. 

The Super Falcons skipper’s new deal was announced by FC Barcelona Femini through their social media platforms on Thursday. 

Oshoala, 27, was seen signing the new deal with Barcelona president Joan Laporta and women’s team manager Xavier Puig. 

An elated Oshoala said on the club’s website that “I am very happy to continue in the best team in the world. Not only because of their football, but you also look outside the field of play, and it is because of how they treat the players to keep improving.

“I’m a striker and I want to continue scoring more goals. Love it. The goal is to keep growing and be happy.” 

In a video on the official Barcelona Femeni Twitter handle, Oshoala stated that she was excited to continue at the club. 

Widely regarded as one of the greatest African female footballers of all time and one of the best in the world, she is the most decorated African female footballer of all time and a joint-record four-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year. 

Oshoala previously played for English clubs Arsenal and Liverpool, Chinese club Dailan, and Nigerian clubs Rivers Angels and FC Robo. 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 (and Nigerian) player to score a goal in a UEFA Women’s Champions League final and has helped Barcelona reach the semi-finals three consecutive years and one final. On 16 May 2021, Oshoala became the first African woman to win the UEFA Champions League, after Barcelona defeated Chelsea 4–0 in the finals. 

Oshoala 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 goalscorer with the Super Falcons team who won the 2014 African Women’s Championship. 

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.