Barcelona’s Asisat Oshoala overcomes Budapest heartbreak to lift UEFA Women Champions League

The Nigerian superstar was a losing finalist two years ago but ended on the winning side on Sunday

Barcelona are the 2021 UEFA Women Champions League winner after the Spanish side thrashed Chelsea Ladies 4-0 in the final played at the Gamla Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden.

It is the club’s first-ever triumph in the competition.

Just recovering from an injury, Asisat Oshoala was a second-half substitute in a game where all the damage had been done in the first half. 

Goals from Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmati, and Hansen trailed Melanie Leupolz’s first-minute own-goal which confirmed the Spanish champions’ superiority all before the break. Oshoala found the back of the net late on but her effort was ruled out for offside. 

Oshoala, therefore, becomes the first Nigerian and African woman to lift female football’s biggest club trophy.

The four-time African women player of the year was close to winning the UEFAWCL two years ago but failed at the last hurdle as Lyon handed Barca a 4-1 thrashing at the Groupama Arena in Budapest.

Oshoala scored Barcelona’s consolation goal that night.

But it’s victory at last for the Super Falcons striker whose contribution to Barcelona’s triumph includes four goals in eight matches.

Oshoala scored in Barca’s 4-1 win at PSV and her side’s 5-0 victory over Fortuna Hjørring in the earlier rounds of the competition.

The former Arsenal Ladies ace then scored a goal each in both legs of her side’s quarter-final victories over Manchester City. 

Only last weekend, Oshoala helped Barcelona retain the league title, with her 15 goals crucial to the champions navigating the campaign with a perfect win record. 

The 26-year-old Nigerian superstar has now added the Champions League trophy to the two league titles, the Copa de la Reina, the Supercopa Femenina, and the two Catalunya Femenina cups she has won during her successful three-year stay in Spain.