By Larry Olubanjo, Abuja
Female footballers all around the world have contributed a lot to world football; they have evolved over the years and has garnered so many applauds.
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Lots of women have also broken the barriers of obscurity, limitations and have taken the responsibilities to change the status quo.
Female football has produced so many great athletes all around the world, from the United States of America to Brazil, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, England, and even Japan. We have witnessed great performances from so many world class athletes, from German Birgit Prinz, to the Brazilian Marta, American Mia Hamm, German exceptional goalkeeper Nadine Angerer, and USA Megan Rapinoe. Now the Spaniards have cemented their names amongst the world’s greats Barcelona’ Alexia Putellas, Aitanna Bonmati not forgetting the English woman Lucy Bronze.
Africa also cannot be undermined, even though there is a lot of room for improvement in female football in Africa.
Here we take a look at the 5 greatest female footballers from Africa. Using criteria such as the number of participations at the World Cup and Olympics, the number of goals scored, the performance of the athletes at the Africa Women’s Championship, the recognition the players have garnered over the years, and the personal individual award.
Asisat Oshoala- Asisat Oshoala is perhaps the greatest because of her speed, strength on the ball, and prolific scoring rate. She started on a high by being the best player and highest goal scorer (7 goals) at the 2014 FIFA Under-20 World Cup; she took the Falcons to the final. A six time African women’s player of the year. In the 2022 season, she was the leading scorer in Spain’s top flight with 20 goals and led Barcelona to another double. In total, she has won four league titles with Barcelona, as well as four Supercopa de Espana Femenina and the Copa de la Reina with Barcelona, not to mention two UEFA women’s Champions Leagues. She has also won the FA Women’s Cup with Arsenal. She also won three Africa women’s championships, she scored against Sweden in a 3-3 draw in the 2015 FIFA World Cup; she scored the winning goal against North Korea in the 2019 FIFA World Cup; and she also scored the third goal for Nigeria against Australia in the match that took Nigeria to the round of 16 for the second time in a row. She remains the only female African player to score at a UEFA Champions League final, and she is also the only African to be nominated by France Football magazine for the Ballon d’Or nomination. Agba Baller, as she is fondly called, is a benchmark for all female footballers to come out of Africa. She has also been ranked as the best player in the world, according to the BBC.
Perpetual Nkwocha- Perpetual Nkwocha has also won the AfrFootballball award four times. In 2004, she scored four goals in the final against Cameroon at the Africa Women’s Championship, scoring a total of nine goals all through the tournament. She has also won five Africa women’s championship, participated in three Olympic tournaments, and won four FIFA women’s world cup. She scored against China when the Falcons lost 3-1 in a consolation penalty, Also at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she scored a consolation goal against Brazil. She even scored at the 2015 World Cup, the only match Nigeria won against Canada, scoring the only goal.
Mercy Akide- Mercy Akide: highly efficient lady with a lion’s heart, she doesn’t do anything by halves. During her playing days, she was a smoldering volcano, she scored twice at the summer Olympics held in Sydney, Australia, against Norway, the USA, ( Nigeria lost both matches), she scored a great goal against Sweden at Athens 2004, also put Nigeria in front against Germany ( even though Nigeria lost both matches), Akide was a beast, she won Africa footballer of the year 2001. In 1999 FIFA world Cup, she scored against North Korea, Denmark, she was included in the FIFA all-star team twice 1999, 2004. She was absolutely phenomenal.
Florence Omagbemi- Florence Omagbemi : She captained Nigeria to several tournaments; 1995 FIFA women’s world cup, 1999 world cup. She was one of the earliest pioneers of female football in Africa. She has won Africa Women’s Championship four times ( 1998, 2000, 2002,2004)
Cynthia Uwak- Cynthia Uwak : Cynthia was discovered sometimes around 2006 FIFA under 20 when she scored four goals , two goals against Canada , one against Brazil. Although the Brazilians knocked Nigeria out at the quarterfinals. She was included in the All-star team of the tournament alongside her teammate Chikwelu Rita. In 2007 she scored in a world cup match against Sweden 1-1 draw. She didn’t last that long in Nigeria’s colour due to some undisclosed controversies, but her performance was well above tepid, she can proudly say she won CAF women footballer of the year twice.
Honourable Mention:
Desire Oparanozie: four times Africa women’s championship winner. In 2014 edition she emerged the top scorer, she took Nigeria to final at 2010 under 20 FIFA world cup, also took Nigeria to fourth position at 2012 under 20 world cup. She played a pivotal role there also participated at 2023 world cup, Nigeria lost to England in a glorious fashion at second round.
Gaelle Enganamount : an Enigmatic Cameroon super star , the only African female player to score hat trick at FIFA world cup, against Ecuador at 2015 world cup, she was one time Africa female footballer of the year.
Thembi Kgatlana: it is going to be a disservice if Kgatlana’s name is omitted here. She was adjudged by CAF as the best Africa footballer of the year 2018 (being the second South African player to achieve that), where she was best player of the tournament and highest goal scorer. In 2023 world cup she scored winning goal against Italy and took them to their first ever knock out stages.
Alberta Sackey – won individual award as CAF African best player 2002. Her goal against Australia was nominated on FIFA.com for the greatest goal in women’s World cup history.
Noko Matlou : Africa female footballer of the year 2008, she won the competition in 2022, sadly she couldn’t make it to our top 5.
Bandra Barbra: the record goal scorer at the olympics, she scored two different hat tricks against Holland, a 3-10 loss to the Dutch at Tokyo 2020, also in 4-4 draw against the Chinese. She scored another hat trick. On record she is the first African to score hat trick (s) at Olympics, although controversies have marred her career over the physicality and unlikely physique she has.
Chiamaka Nnadozie: penalty saving specialist, has been in excellent form this season, maybe in future she could be crowned the best player in Africa, or the best goalkeeper in the world.