Fun Facts: What you don’t know about Nigeria’s Halimatu Ayinde

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Apart from playing on the pitch, there are some notable and interesting facts that fans and women’s football followers seldom know about Nigeria’s women’s national team players.

From their state of origin, best foods, and pre-match rituals, players have peculiar traits, likes, and dislikes.

As part of our Women’s World Cup coverage, in this series, the NigeriaFootball.ng seeks to unveil unknown things about top Super Falcons players, and we start with Rosengard midfielder, Halimatu Ayinde as she gear up for Australia on Thursday after ending her two-match suspension.

Attending her third FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the former Eskilstuna United exclusively shared some facts unknown to others with this online football news portal below:

NAME: Ayinde Halimatu

CURRENT CLUB: FC Rosengård (Sweden)

PREVIOUS CLUBS: Nasarawa Amazons (Nigeria), Delta Queens (Nigeria), Western New York Flash (USA), FK Minsk (Belarus), IF Asarums, Eskilstuna United (Sweden).

POSITION: 6 (defensive midfielder)

JERSEY NUMBER: #18

STATE OF ORIGIN: Kwara State

FAVORITE JERSEY NUMBER: # 18

WHICH PROFESSION WOULD YOU CHOOSE OUTSIDE FOOTBALL: Volleyball / Taekwado

WHAT DO YOU DO HOURS BEFORE MATCHES / PRE-MATCH RITUALS?: Activations with music and then say my prayers before stepping out.

BEST FOOD: Oha soup, Okra soup, and fufu

BEST COLOUR: white and black

HOBBIES: Cooking, dancing, music, and playing games like ludo, draft, and cards.

TURN OFFS (DISLIKES): Lies and oppression

FIRST-EVER GOAL FOR CLUB AND COUNTRY (IF ANY): My first goal at club level was against Portland Thorns (USA). When I played in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side, Flash while my first goal for my country was against Equatorial Guinea, Olympic Qualifiers in 2015.

YOUR HAPPIEST MOMENT AS A FOOTBALLER: This was my debut at the FIFA Women’s World Cup  (FIFAWWC) in 2015. It was a great feeling and an exciting moment for me.

SADDEST MOMENT: was when I had an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury. It was a very sad moment for me and my career.

SPECIAL MESSAGE TO YOUR FANS: Dear fans, thank you for all your support and good wishes. Thanks once again, and God bless you as you are supporting me nonstop.