Super Falcons star forward Asisat Oshoala says the push for a record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title is not a personal mission but one that represents the collective ambition of the entire Nigerian team.
Dubbed ‘Mission X’, Nigeria’s road to glory continues with a high-stakes quarterfinal clash against Zambia on Friday at 18:00 CAT, as the record champions seek to march into the semifinals of the 2024 tournament being hosted in Morocco.
Speaking to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) media, the Bay FC striker emphasized the team-first mentality that has underpinned her illustrious career.
“I think it’s not necessarily special for me but special for the team,” said Oshoala. “I’m always a team person first. This is Mission X for the team, and it’s very important for us to go all out and see how we can achieve it.”
Oshoala boasts an enviable résumé of three WAFCON titles (2014, 2016, 2018), over 30 international goals, and a record six CAF Women’s Player of the Year awards (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023).
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Her consistent dominance and longevity have made her the face of Nigerian and African women’s football, though she remains firmly grounded and forward-looking, particularly when it comes to mentoring emerging talent.
“The player that excites me the most right now? Not one, I’ll say [Abiodun] Deborah and I would say [Oladipo] Shukrat,” she added. “Both of them — they are like the future of this team. I can see it happening, I see what people don’t see sometimes.”
The Super Falcons are aiming to surpass their fourth-place finish at the 2022 WAFCON, where they suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Copper Queens, who claimed the bronze medal.
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