By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigerian defender Oluwasegun Olalere has been named Aarhus Fremad’s Player of the Season for the 2024–25 campaign, becoming the first Nigerian to win the Danish club’s top individual accolade.
The 25-year-old played a pivotal role in Aarhus Fremad’s successful campaign, helping the club secure promotion to the Danish 1st Division for the first time in 19 years.
Olalere featured in 24 matches, scoring four goals and delivering consistently strong performances in central defense.
Widely praised for his composure, leadership, and defensive stability, Olalere was instrumental in the team’s resurgence under head coach Morten Dahm Kjærgaard.
Born and raised in Nigeria, Olalere began his football journey in the Nigerian youth system before moving to Denmark to pursue a professional career.
His recognition by Aarhus Fremad marks a major milestone in his development and underscores the growing influence of Nigerian talent in European football.
Olalere’s achievement adds to the growing list of Nigerian players making significant contributions abroad, and serves as inspiration to young footballers aspiring to succeed on the international stage.
With the Player of the Season award, Olalere has firmly established himself as one to watch as Aarhus Fremad prepares for life in the Danish 1st Division.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
