footballer to join the FA Women's Super League, the story was not just
huge in Nigeria but all over Africa. The 20-year-old Super Falcons
striker laden with awards and accolades - from the Africa player of
the year, to winner of the golden boot and player of the tournament at
the Under-20 World Cup - had a sensational 2014. It included winning
the Africa Cup of Nations, and narrowly missing out on the U20 World
title. No wonder Liverpool's manager, Matt Beard, was keen to sign
her.
"The transfer made big headlines," Oshoala says. "I never thought it
would be as big a deal as that. When the news broke it went all over
the African countries, I had journalists trying to contact me from all
over."
Beard believes "Superzee" or "Seedorf" - as she is nicknamed - is one
of the top young talents in world football, and set to light up the
Super League when the season kicks off on Wednesday. Rumours abound of
multiple clubs having tried to sign her, but Oshoala prefers to
emphasise how happy she is to have joined Liverpool.
"I liked the style of them," she says of the club, whose matches she
had followed online at home in Lagos. "It's a team I've been longing
to play for, I like to follow their games, and their league - the men
as well. I also happen to be a Liverpool fan so it was easy for me to
pick Liverpool."
Last week the women's team were invited to watch the men train at
Melwood, and Oshoala's Instagram account was peppered with selfies
alongside Mario Balotelli, Daniel Sturridge and Kolo Touré.
Growing up in Lagos, Oshoala played football on sandy pitches with the
boys at school; playing with the girls wasn't an option. "I love
football and I can't be moving with people who maybe only want to talk
about clothes and bags," she says, of the school where girls rarely
played sport. "I love football and that's why I mingled with the boys,
I didn't really walk with the girls."
Initially Oshoala's parents, running successful businesses in the
fashion and gold industries, were concerned. "At the beginning they
didn't really appreciate me going into football. They wanted me to go
to school. But I said: 'It's what I want. Football is what gives me
happiness'. So they had no choice but to support me."
Rebelling against her parents' wishes made Oshoala focused. "I told
myself if I'm leaving school for football then I have to give the best
and make sure I get something good out of football. Today I'm not
regretting it," she says, with a grin.
While Nigerian women's football may not have a high global profile, an
established league - where the top matches are often televised -
provided Oshoala with a career path, and a number of players in whose
footsteps to follow. Performers such as the Sweden-based veteran
striker Perpetua Nkwocha, who won the Africa player of the year four
times, and the midfielder Mercy Akide, both now in their late
thirties, blazed a trail for Oshoala.
Now it is Oshoala doing the trailblazing, as the first African player
in top flight English women's football. Already she has a strong sense
of the responsibility that accompanies that tag. "Going to England is
not just about me, it's about Nigeria as well," she says. "A lot of
people wouldn't have thought that a Nigerian player can go out to play
for a team like Liverpool Ladies so I think it will have a big
influence. Most people follow the Premier League, but they don't
really know much about the women's league here; now, because I've
joined, they're going to start following the WSL."
With the World Cup in Canada this summer, and an increase in African
nations competing as the overall number of teams increases from 16 to
24, Oshoala hopes her talent will make an impact on the biggest stage.
"People find it difficult to believe that there are good teams in
Africa. We're not just going there to complete the numbers, we're
going there to make sure people know African teams are not just
pushover teams at the World Cup, we're going there to fight."
The Nigerian striker's most treasured memory from last year was making
it to the U20 World Cup final, where they narrowly missed out on the
title, losing 1-0 to world No1's Germany. Throughout the tournament
Oshoala played a key role, defeating Mo Marley's England side in the
group stages and overpowering some of England's best young talent in
Sunderland's prolific striker Beth Mead and the Arsenal and England
youth player of the year, Leah Williamson.
--NTA
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