By Queen John
Rivers Angels forward, Asisat Oshoala has been named 2014 Youth Player of the Year, and the Africa Woman Player of the Year.
The Lagos-born striker was rewarded for her contributions in the Fifa U-20 Women World Cup in Canada, Africa Women Championship in Namibia and her club side, Rivers Angels in 2014.
The double award winner had an outstanding performance at the Fifa Women World Cup in Canada, scoring 7 goals and emerging as the highest goal scorer and most valuable player at the tournament qualifying her team to the final, though they lost 1-0 to the eventual winners, Germany.
Two months later, Oshoala replicated her U-20 World Cup performance at the Africa Women Championship in Namibia. She scored four goals one shy of her compatriot, Desire Oparanozie and was named the most valuable player at the competition.
To crown a successful year, the former Fc Robo striker scored seven goals for Rivers Angels, five in the league and two in the Federation Cup final against Sunshine Queens to lead her club to win the League and Cup double in 2014.
Her goals were key to winning the double for the Port Harcourt side. A brace in the final game of the Nigeria Women Professional League, NWPL season against Edo Queens in Benin and a brace in the Federation Cup final game against Sunshine Queens at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.
Oshoala’s club future remains speculative as there are interests from European clubs ready to take her away from Rivers Angels, though her next national call of duty is the 2015 All-Africa Games (AAG), 2016 Olympic Games Football Tournament qualifiers and the Fifa Women World Cup scheduled for June 8- July 9 2015 in Canada.
Previous editions won of the Africa Footballer of the Year for women by Nigerians were Mercy Akide in 2001, Perpetua Nkwocha in 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011 and Cynthia Uwak in 2006, 2007.