By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side Gotham FC have completed the signing of Nigeria-eligible forward Princess Ademiluyi from West Ham United for an undisclosed fee.
Ademiluyi’s journey with the Hammers began at age 12 when she entered the club through the Foundation’s Player Pathway.
She went on to make history as the first graduate of the programme to reach the senior women’s team, making her Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) debut at just 16 against Brighton & Hove Albion in May 2023.
On her 18th birthday in July 2024, she signed her first professional contract with West Ham before spending the first half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Charlton Athletic.
She returned to east London in January and went on to feature six times in the WSL under manager Rehanne Skinner, leaving the club with 23 senior appearances across all competitions before sealing her move to the United States.
The switch to Gotham FC marks the next step in Ademiluyi’s promising career, with the teenager expected to bring energy, versatility, and attacking flair to the NWSL champions’ forward line.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
