Nigeria’s leading female football icons experienced contrasting outcomes as Asisat Oshoala made a striking debut in Saudi Arabia, while Chiamaka Nnadozie faced her first setback in England, according to Soccernet.ng.
Since her transfer to Al-Hilal from Bay FC in the United States on September 2, Oshoala wasted no time showcasing her talent.
The six-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year opened her account by scoring in her first match, helping Al-Hilal secure a thrilling 4-3 victory over Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Women’s Premier League season opener.
The forward from Ikorodu was a constant threat throughout the match, taking three shots and playing the entire 90 minutes.
Al-Hilal took an early lead with two goals in the first 36 minutes, but Al-Qadsiah responded with strikes just before halftime and shortly after the break. Oshoala then confidently converted a penalty in the 62nd minute to regain the advantage for her team.
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Portuguese attacker Jéssica Silva sealed the win with a goal in the 74th minute, although Al-Qadsiah managed a late consolation goal deep into stoppage time.
Oshoala, who has previously played for Arsenal, Liverpool, and Barcelona, has now impressively scored on her debut in four different countries.
Meanwhile, in Manchester, her compatriot and Super Falcons teammate Chiamaka Nnadozie encountered a tougher evening.
The goalkeeper, who transferred to Brighton from Paris FC this summer, impressed on her debut by keeping a clean sheet and earning Player of the Match honors. However, at the Academy Stadium on Friday night, she conceded twice as Manchester City rallied to win 2-1.
Brighton initially took the lead in the 14th minute through Fran Kirby, capitalizing on a rebound from Michelle Agyemang’s shot. Yet, City found their momentum after halftime, with Khadija Shaw equalizing via a diving header in the 58th minute. Substitute Aoba Fujino then assisted Yui Hasegawa’s decisive goal in the 74th minute.
Despite conceding twice, Nnadozie made several crucial saves, including a notable stop against Vivianne Miedema in the first half. Nevertheless, her efforts were insufficient to prevent new Manchester City manager Andrée Jeglertz from securing his inaugural Women’s Super League triumph.
Looking ahead, Manchester City will face Tottenham on September 19, while Brighton are set to host West Ham two days later.
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