Sports

Real reasons Asisat Oshoala left FC Barcelona for USA’s Bay FC

Published

3 months ago

February 3, 2024

The transfer of Super Falcons striker, Asisat Oshoala, from FC Barcelona Femini of Spain to Bay FC in the US National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) may have gone under the radar due to the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AFCON) currently ongoing in Ivory Coast.

However, beyond the regular reasons of her contract running out or her seeking new pastures and challenges in a different league and country, insiders have given deeper reasons into her decision to quit the Spanish league where she won four league titles, the Champions League twice and eight domestic cups, and had 117 goals in 162 games during her five years stint.

According to the Spanish club, Oshoala was out of contract at the end of the season and had decided to move on by signing for the American club for an undisclosed fee.

The 29-year-old striker who started her career in 2009 with FC Robo of Lagos before moving to Rivers Angels from 2013 to 2015, Liverpool Ladies from 2015 to 2016, Arsenal Ladies from 2016 to 2017, Dalian Quanjian FC from 2017 to 2019, FC Barcelona in 2019, also spoke about her recent move in a statement on her Instagram page.

“I stayed five years in Barcelona and that’s like the longest I’ve stayed at a club to be honest.

“And I felt I just want to change and to try something different and also I just want to have fun. And when I was presented with the project of this club liked it and decided to go with it.”

But according to a close confidant of the 2023 African Women’s Footballer of the Year, Oshoala’s move from Barcelona is a step towards planning for her retirement.

The confidant, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the six-time African Women Player of the Year could have signed for any club in Europe or even in the lucrative Saudi Female League but had to take her future into consideration.

“I have known Asisat for years, right from our days at Robo FC and I can say for sure that she decided to go to America as part of her retirement plans.

“Remember she is 29 and how long will she continue to play at the highest level?

“She had the opportunity of signing for big clubs in Europe or even in Saudi Arabia but she opted for the US.

“She is also looking at her future. This is part of her retirement plan. She wants to use the opportunity and go back to school and get a degree she can fall back on after her career. And don’t forget, she is a woman and starting a family may also be part of the general plans,” she said.

Related Topics:Asisat Oshoala Bay FC FC Barcelona Featured

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Sports

Ethiopian marathon legend Bekele returns to Olympics after 12-year absence

Published

20 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

After a 12-year absence on the international race circuit, Ethiopian marathon legend, Kenenisa Bekele, has announced that he will return for the 2024 Olympic Games in July after he was named in a 10-member team on Thursday.

The 41-year-old Bekele last competed in the London Games in 2012 when he finished fourth in the men’s 10,000m before he was overlooked for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

His surprise return to the Ethiopian team came after a remarkable second-place finish at the London Marathon in April which was enough to earn him a place for the Paris Olympics in a squad which also features women’s world record holder Tigist Assefa.

In his heydays, Bekele won three Olympic golds in the 5,000m and 10,000m, and is now expected to renew his rivalry with reigning Olympic champion and former world record holder, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya who was also named in the Kenyan team.

In August 2003, Kipchoge dusted his Ethiopian rival when the two met for the first time at the Paris World Championships, holding on to win the 5,000m race, pipping Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj into second place while Bekele finished third.

Bekele made his marathon debut in April 2014 when he produced the sixth-fastest run over the distance in Paris but his career has been hampered by injuries.

Other members of the Ethiopian men’s team for the Olympics are Sisay Lemma, the Valencia marathon champion, and Deresa Geleta, while 2023 New York marathon champion and 2022 world champion Tamirat Tola and Eusedin Mohammed, are standby reserves.

Sports

Zambia’s women national team coach face new sexual assault allegation

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Zambia women national team coach, Bruce Mwape, is facing new allegations of sexual assault and misconduct at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, prompting an investigation by world football governing body, FIFA.

Mwape who is currently facing allegations of sexual harassment after some of his players laid accusations against him, has been accused by a female FIFA contractor of inappropriately touching her breast during the tournament.

A report on the Fifa website disclosed that the body received an official complaint accusing the 64-year-old Mwape of touching the breast of a FIFA contractor from New Zealand.

The complainant is quoted to have told Fifa officials that Mwape had inappropriately touched her breasts in a suggestive manner.

“I remember him putting his hand on my shoulder to say ‘Good morning,’ but then he went again and wiped his hand straight down the front, obviously touching my boob,” the contractor reportedly said.

“It happened so quickly. It felt wrong to me but I also questioned whether it had just been a mistake. But after that, his relationship with me was very different. So I think he knew what he had done was not appropriate,” the unnamed contractor added.

The incident, according to the report, allegedly occurred while the team was staying at an Auckland hotel before their match against Spain.