The reigning Africa Female Player of the Year delivered another disappointing performance against Cameroon on Friday
That Asisat Oshoala is one of the greatest Nigerian and African women to play football is not up for debate.
Oshoala is the only woman to have won the African Women’s Footballer of the Year award six times, the only African to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League twice, and the first to score in the final of the competition.
In five years at Barcelona, Oshoala helped the Catalans win 14 trophies, including two trebles. She scored 117 goals in 162 appearances, sealing her legacy at the club as the fourth-highest goalscorer in their history.
For Nigeria, Oshoala has been even more legendary.
The former Arsenal star, the best player at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, has helped Nigeria win three Africa Cup of Nations titles. She won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot in the title-winning squad of the 2014 and 2016 editions, respectively.
Oshoala has scored in all the major tournaments she has featured in for Nigeria, including three goals at the FIFA Women’s World Cup and 13 at the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations.
She has been extraordinary.
And by the time she calls it quits with her career, there will be little doubt in the hearts of many that Oshoala is the greatest African female football ever.
However, while Oshoala has been consistently excellent at the club level over the past decade or more, there has been a noticeable decline in her output at the international level.
Since making her Super Falcons debut in 2013, Oshoala has been Nigeria’s number-one striker. She has played in 61 games, scoring an incredible 37 goals.
Curiously, though, Oshoala has scored only three of those goals in the last three years.
The 29-year-old forward found the net in Nigeria’s 3-0 win over Haiti in Turkey last April. She struck again in the 3-2 victory over Australia at the World Cup and netted the third goal in the 4-0 whooping of Ethiopia in Abuja on October 31st.
More worrying than Oshoala’s lack of goals for the national team is her ‘big-madam attitude’ on the pitch.
Oshoala is no longer the high-pressing, relentless, no-gree-for-any-defender, ruthless striker that once was a nightmare for goalkeepers on the African continent.
These days, Oshoala is often captured on screen strolling around the pitch while her younger teammates run around looking to create chances for her.
And when the chances come, as they sometimes do, Oshoala does not convert them often enough as she once used to.
Against Cameroon in the 2024 Olympic Games qualifier in Douala on Friday, Oshoala dropped another stinker: no goal, no assist, no shot on target, no dangerous play that potentially threatened to lead to goal.
Nigeria’s best chances in the encounter came from the fine plays of other not-as-talented but hungrier footballers.
Toni Payne ran herself to the ground. Substitute Ifeoma Onumonu showed more desire in five minutes than Oshoala did all night. Ajibade was as tireless as ever.
Oshoala’s biggest highlight against the Indomitable Lionesses came when she was seen strolling back from the back post as Esther Okoronkwo scored Nigeria’s goal that was wrongly ruled out for offside.
While it is admirable that Oshoala has won her place among the greatest players in history, she still needs to consistently merit her spot in the Super Falcons’ starting eleven each time Nigeria play.
Oshoala remains an important figure in the national team, no doubt, but there is a feeling that Uchenna Kanu, Gift Monday, or even Jennifer Echegini could offer more in attack.
To retain their status as Africa’s best, reclaim their crown at the WAFCON, and make it to the Olympic Games for the first time in 16 years, the Super Falcons must give their best at all times.
Sadly, the team has not looked at its best in attack for most of the last three years.
While it may not be the right time yet to say goodbye to Oshoala on the international scene, this is the right moment to give some talented younger ones the chance to start games ahead of the new Bay FC forward.
Oshoala starting a few Super Falcons games on the bench could help her rediscover the fire in her belly that propelled her to such unmatched career heights.
It would be a delightful sight to see the best of Oshoala at Morocco 2024 and Paris 2024.
Giving opportunities to others could also be the beginning of life after Oshoala for the national team – an unpleasant but inevitable phase.
Coach Randy Walrdum has enough options in attack to make the post-Oshoala era in the Super Falcons a successful one. The transition phase to that period had better begin now.
N. B: Do you agree that Asisat Oshoala should no longer be the number-one striker for the Super Falcons? Leave your comments below.
This post was last modified on February 24, 2024 1:54 pm
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View Comments
AM HAPPY SOME PEOPLE HAVE STARTED TO NOTICE HER U SERIOUS ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE NATIONAL ASSIGNMENT, ONLY AN UNBIASED OBSERVER COULD DO THE WRITE UP ABOVE, KUDOS TO YOU.
ASSISAT HAS GOTTEN ALL SHE NEEDED AND NOW SHE IS ESTABLISHED, SHE HAS BECOME LACKADAISICAL, LET HER BE COMING FROM THE BENCH SO THAT HUNGRIER TALENTS COULD HAVE SPACE TO SERVE THEIR FATHER LAND
WHAT SURPRISED ME IS THAT IT TOOK THIS LONG BEFORE SPORT OBSERVERS BEGIN TO NOTICE IT.
RANDY MUST HAVE THE COURAGE OF OLISEH TO PUT A BIG STAR LIKE HER TO WHERE SHE BELONGS IN THE TEAM.
With all due respect to Oshoala, she's has done and achieve a lot. Maybe she has lost her form or maybe age is telling on her. I really don't know how and when age starts telling on women footballers. I believe it's high time to give the ones who are wanting but yet to proof amazing talents they possess opportunities.
I love Gift Monday style of play
Kanu is good, she moves ball and body like a men does
See Esther too. Very amazing
her experience is still needed
.PLEASE BE SERIOUS.. ASHISAT IS A WASTE PIPE. SHE SHOULD GOOOO
I'm not sure the poster realized how much injury she's had to deal with in the last 2 years. These things eventually catch up with them. She's not being lazy, rather "preserving". Doing those pressings and stuff might lead to recurring issues, we've seen these things even with the male counterparts. Calling her lazy is a bit of a stretch when you don't have an iota of understanding about her body dynamics. Maybe coming from the bench few times would do her a world of good, however, this is no way to address the issue.
she can come from the bench .. 30 mins play. only
I watched match between Super Falcon and Indomitable Lioness of Cameroon live , yes , observed that Oshoala has nothing meaningful to offer again. She has tried a lot for the National team,let her watch from the bench while waiting for retirement from international engagements.
What an analysis? Is football a singular person game? I wonder if Mr Iroms ever consider the formation played by the coach in doing this analysis?
Truly the younger ones should be giving the opportunity to showcase their talents
As far as I am concerned, she has lost it and doesn't deserve playing time in that time unless proving otherwise. Her "I don't care" attitude towards the SF is annoying. Gift is much more hungrier to play. Let her sit on the bench and come in for the rest of last 15-10mins
She should concentrate more on her TikTok as she is no longer interested in playing for Nigeria
For me Alozie, Toni Payne and Oshoala should bow out of the S/falcons,
Women don't last in football like men counterparts, reason why Bayana bayana won the Wafcon in 2022, then Ebi, Francisca Ordega and other aged players where still featured in the S/Falcons team
After they bow out of the S/Falcons team what happened? Bayana bayana are finding it hard now to defeat the S/Falcons like they did in their three consecutive matches with the S/falcons
The S/Falcons attack is lacking the fire power we know them with because some aged players Aforementioned need to bow out of the team
The likes of Opeyemi Ajakaye and other young players needs to be introduced into the S/Falcons forward for their pace and ability to out run defenders.