Humble, accessible and articulate, Asisat Oshoala is about the latest happening in Nigerian football. Golden Boot and MVP winner at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada, the lanky Ikorodu born nimble-footed footballer graduated to the Super Falcons squad and made her mark at the just concluded African Women Championship in Namibia with a trophy and an individual award of the tournament’s most valuable player(MVP). Oshoala shares her story in this conversation with JACOB AJOM.

Asisat Oshoala

Congratulations Oshoala. You were in Canada for the U-20 World Cup, although you did not win the trophy with Nigeria, you emerged the MVP of the tournament.

Now at the senior level in Namibia, you were also outstanding, ending up with the trophy and an MVP award. How would this impact on your career?

If you are doing something and nothing good is coming out of it, you will sit down and reflect on whether you want to give up or drop it entirely, but now I can say that something good is coming out of my career and the best I can do is to keep improving. Coming from the U-20 level to the senior level has improved my game. After emerging tops in Canada, I came to the senior level and emerged the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. It is really good for me.

Looking at these two teams (U-20 and the Senior team), which of them have you really enjoyed playing for most?

I will say both although they posed different challenges.

But you could not find the net as many times as you did in Canada with the U-20?

It’s just like saying that matured players should come and play in an age-grade competition; they will definitely perform better. But a junior player playing in a senior competition will not find it easy to adapt at first. But I believe I tried my best at the AWC.

Looking at Africa now, do you think there is any country that can push Nigeria off the top position?

There is none because South Africa that defeated us and knocked us out of the competition two

years ago, we avenged that defeat with a 2-1 victory in the semi final. Again Cameroon that defeated us in the third place match two years ago, were also defeated by us in the final. With those two countries that gave us tough times two years ago behind us, I don’t see any country threatening us.

Your partnership with Desire Oparanozie was so smooth, so seamless, as if you had been playing together for ages. Have you had the chance of playing together before the final?

We played together in the qualifiers, I think against Rwanda. That was before the U-20 World Cup. You know in football, if you understand the game, you can play with anybody. Oparanozie is a fantastic player, so it was easy for us to understand each other.

How do you find working with Oparanozie?

She is a very good person to play with. I like her game because she is a good player. She is skilful and energetic. I like her strength and experience. She knows when I am tired and readily comes to my aid. I also know when she needs my help. I know the kind of pass she needs and she knows what I want at any point in time. As you could see, my partnership with her wasn’t a bad one.

So what was it like in camp? How did you players relate?

We relate very well. There was no discrimination of any sort. There was nothing like junior or senior players. We all related like one big family and it reflected in the way we played. We were all in the same spirit.

What are your expectations as we look forward to next year’s World Cup in Canada, considering that you first made your name in Canada at the U-20 level?

I look forward to the senior World Cup with optimism. But really I do not know if my form can take me there or if the coaches would select me in the team for the World Cup. Until then, I cannot say much about the World Cup. It will depend on my form and the decision of the coach. It is my form that will determine my fate.

With your consistent good performance at the AWC, I believe you would have had some foreign scouts showing interest in taking you to Europe.

I would not want to go into that. It is personal, please.

How do your parents take your football career?

They encourage me. They pray for me and at times call me on phone, advising me and at times, as a striker when I play and failed to score I call them to share my frustrations but they pray for me and tell me ‘you can do it’. I feel encouraged by their underst-anding.