With her goal against Australia (3-2), co-host country and favorite of the competition, she marked the history of football in Nigeria, while it had been a little more than ten minutes since she came into play (72nd).

The 28-year-old star scored against Sweden in 2015 and South Korea in 2019.

"She is a class above the others and she proved it with what she showed when she was not 100% fit, she still came off the bench in Brisbane to inspire a historic victory against Australia," Tobi Peters, a journalist who has been following her career since FC Robo and the Rivers Angels, told AFP. his first clubs in Nigeria.

A week after the start of the tournament, on July 27, the celebration of her record-breaking goal was already one of the images of the tournament: with her mouth wide open, she took off her dark green jersey and triumphed in a bra. "My dad is not happy at all, but life is a collection of moments," she later commented on Instagram.

'Source of pride'

Historic moments, she could still live in Oceania, and why not against the English in the eighth final in Brisbane. She has one goal left to become her country's top scorer in the history of a World Cup. And she could well add a sixth African Women's Player of the Year award to her record.

"Asisat is not only a source of pride for Nigeria, but for all of Africa," Alao Salami, a fan based in Lagos, told AFP.

With Barça, she also accumulates trophies with this season a Champions League - even if she was forfeited in the final against Wolfsburg due to a hamstring injury - but also La Liga and the Spanish Cup.

In addition to being one of the stars of the Super Falcons, Asisat Oshoala, who dreamed of becoming a lawyer, is just as important in the colors of the Blaugrana: she exceeds twenty goals each season and has been the top scorer of her club for the last two years.

Nigeria striker Asisat Oshoala, before the match against South Korea, during the 2029 World Cup in France © Jean-Pierre Clatot / AFP / Archives

A complete striker, Oshoala, nicknamed "Super Zee" is known for her power and speed, but also for her often intelligent movements, both with and without the ball.

To become that player, Oshoala defied her parents in her youth, choosing to drop out of school to focus on football full-time.

And it paid off spectacularly.

'A lot of pressure'

In 2014, she exploded on the international stage, when she was top scorer and best player of the Under-20 World Cup.

Barely out of her teens, she signed for Liverpool in 2015. She became the first African to play in the English Women's Super League, before choosing Arsenal the following year, with whom she won the FA Cup at Wembley.

After a stint in China, she joined Barcelona in 2019, with whom she has already won two C1 awards.

Off the field, with her foundation in Lagos, Asisat Oshoala is trying to promote women's football for girls in Nigeria, the only African team to have participated in all editions of the tournament since its inception in 1991.

But the Super Falcons never made it past the quarterfinals. And for that, coach Randy Waldrum will need his prolific striker.

"She puts a lot of pressure on herself because she loves Nigeria and she wants Nigeria to succeed on the world stage," he said before the World Cup.

But, "when you have Oshoala, you have a chance against any team," he predicted, managing to get out of a difficult group, with Australia, Canada, Olympic champions and Ireland.

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