Red-hot Asisat Oshoala snub as FIFPro announces 2022 World Women’s XI nominees

By Monsurah Olatunji

Nigeria International Asisat Oshoala has been left out of the 2022 FIFA FIFPRO Women’s World XI shortlist despite her brilliant performances for Barcelona in the 2022 season.

FIFPro announced its 23-woman players shortlist on Monday and the five-time Africa Women’s Player of the Year winner who played a key role for Barcelona as they won the league title was missing on the list.

The 28-year-old had one of her best seasons and years ever in 2022 despite her injury woes as she contributed 20 goals to emerge top scorer in the league as Barcelona advanced to the final of the 2022 Women’s Champions League.

The former Liverpool and Arsenal star also showed her exploits on the continent with four goals in five Champions League games for La Blaugranes.

This season, she already has 18 goals which include three hat tricks in her last four games as she sits first on the top scorer chart and on course to retain the Pichichi she won last season.

Oshoala the first African woman to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or award, finishing 16th in the overall ranking. She is also the first and only African player – male or female – to win the continent’s footballer of the year award five times breaking Ssmuel Eto’I and Perpetua Nkwocha’s record of four.

However, despite putting up these impressive numbers, it was not good enough to earn her a spot on FIFPro’s list.