Nigeria Players Abroad
Asisat Oshoala ready to adjust to the NWSL style after Bay FC switch
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Upon the arrival of Nigeria forward, Asisat Oshoala to NWSL side, Bay FC, the major focus for her is to adapt to the American women’s soccer league.
The record six-time African Player of the Year winner completed her switch to the American side from European champions, FC Barcelona for the next two seasons with an option for a season extension on Thursday.
After her experience in England, China, and Spain, the former Arsenal star feels acclimatizing to a new league should not be a big deal.
“I feel like personally, my game. I’ve tried to learn how to adjust to different styles of football,” Oshoala told the Equalizer.
“Because every few months, you have to switch from the national team to the club side, you go back to the national team, spend a couple of days — and as a player, you have to kind of like being able to adjust to all of these things.
“It’s not easy and I’ve been to different places anyway. I’ve been to Arsenal to China to Liverpool, and they’re all different styles of football, different all different types of players.
“They’re not the same, so this has helped me as a person to understand this and try to adjust myself to everything.”
With Barcelona, Oshoala won a pair of European titles as well as Spanish league titles each of the past four seasons.
“To have the opportunity to add a player of Asisat’s quality, experience, and winning pedigree to our roster is an exciting and important day for the club and the NWSL,” Bay FC general manager Lucy Rushton said.
“She brings a top-class mentality to the field combined with pace and technical ability that allows her to lead the line, while also giving those players around her the license to be creative and thrive in space.
“Asisat is a proven goal scorer at the most elite levels of World football, and she comes here to continue that with Bay FC.”
Oshoala is a proven goal-scorer who helped Barcelona rise to the top of Europe since joining the team in 2019. She previously played in England for Liverpool and Arsenal as well as a stint in China.
The former Rivers Angels player is expected to bring her experience to bear at the new NWSL franchise.
