Governor of Osun State, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, who is also an uncle to an American-born Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer, David Adedeji Adeleke, professionally known as Davido, has called Super Falcons forward, Rasheedat Ajibade, on Saturday to praise her for her outstanding performance at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Governor Adeleke joined the rest of Nigerians and the global community to shower encomium on the super falcons for a wonderful outing in Australia.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand witnessed a historic feat by Nigeria’s Super Falcons, who advanced to the round of 16 for the first time in 24 years and challenged England, one of the tournament favorites, in a nail-biting match.
The Super Falcons displayed remarkable progress and grit in their performance, letting in only two goals and finishing all their group stage matches without a loss in 90 minutes.
They also played out a goalless draw with Canada, the Olympic gold medalists, in their first match, and defeated co-hosts Australia 2-3 with a brilliant goal from Asisat Oshoala.
They also shared the spoils with the Republic of Ireland, drawing 0-0 and booking their spot in the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams.
The Super Falcons met England, the European champions, in the round of 16 in Brisbane.
It was a tight and thrilling match that ended 0-0 after regulation time, despite both teams creating several chances to score.
The match went to a penalty shootout, where Nigeria failed to convert two of their spot-kicks and England netted all four of theirs, ending Nigeria’s dream run at the World Cup.
Super Falcons have raised the bar for themselves and for African women’s football, and have proven that they can match up with the best teams in the world.
In a video by the Super Falcons Show, Governor Adeleke called the Atletico Madrid Femeni star, Ajibade, who was phenomenal to the girls’ outing and invited her to the state house.
Rasheedat Ajibade is a rising star in African football.
She started playing for Nigeria when she was only 14 and has represented her nation at various levels before joining the senior team in 2018.
She also led the Nigeria U-20 team as the captain to qualify for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Ajibade is a fast, skillful, creative and prolific forward.
She can operate as a wide player, a support striker or a main attacker.
She has an eye for finding gaps and creating opportunities for herself and her colleagues.
She is also a flexible player who can adjust to different tactics and formations.
Ajibade began her career at FC Robo, a Nigerian club that develops young female players.
She was the best scorer and player of the season in the 2017 Nigeria Women Premier League, even though her team ended up in the lower half of the table.
She also clinched the Nigeria National Freestyle Championship twice, demonstrating her flair and technique.
In 2018, Ajibade moved to Norway to play for Avaldsnes IL, a club that competes in the Toppserien, the highest level of women’s football in Norway.
She netted 12 goals in 39 games for Avaldsnes, helping them secure third place in 2019 and fourth place in 2020.
She also gained valuable experience playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
In 2021, Ajibade signed for Atlético Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in Spain and Europe.
She became the first Nigerian player to join Atlético, following the footsteps of other African stars like Asisat Oshoala and Francisca Ordega who have played in Spain.
She has quickly become a key player for Atlético, scoring 16 goals in 54 games so far.
She has also won two trophies with Atlético: the 2021 Copa de la Reina and the 2021 Spanish Super Cup.
Ajibade is not only a gifted footballer but also a role model and an activist.
She has a distinctive blue hairstyle that reflects her personality and identity.
She uses her social media platforms to promote education, coaching and grassroots football in Nigeria.
She is also involved in various initiatives that support women’s empowerment, gender equality and social justice.