Asisat Oshoala, a five-time African women’s footballer awards winner, has been talking about her latest initiative, the Asisat Oshoala Academy (AOA). She shared insight into the girl-child in Africa and why she’s devoting her attention to supporting them.
The FC Barcelona star in partnership with Nike and Women Win, launched the foundation last week in Nigeria, with a view to providing access to football and life skills for marginalized schoolgirls in Lagos.
“I have always strived to give back to the girl child in my community and I believe this football academy will provide opportunities for more girls to excel through the combination of sports and education,” she said.
She reminisced her experiences as a young girl with a desire to play football as a driving force.
“I went to a mixed school for boys and girls, and that’s where I started playing football during playtime and after class. I played for fun in the streets of Lagos, mainly on Sundays. And then I joined a girls’ team in the city. I was happy because I could play football every day. I must admit it caused a lot of arguments with my mother, but I got my way. When I joined the Rivers Angels it opened the doors to the national team and for the first time I realised I could go on to become a professional.”
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