Nigeria Players Abroad
Robo Queens duo Esther Onyenezide and Opeyemi Ajakaye join Spanish side Madrid CFF
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria duo, Esther Onyenezide and Opeyemi Ajakaye have joined Spanish top flight side, Madrid CFF on three-year deals for an undisclosed fee.
The two players joined the Spanish Liga F team from Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) Premiership side, FC Robo Queens continuing the Lagos Landladies’ recent tradition of players transferring players to Spain.
Onyenezide and Ajakaye recently made their debut with Nigeria’s senior women’s national team after featuring at the underage level.
Onyenezide was part of the Nigeria U-20 side that reached the quarter final of the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, excelling at the championship with two goals and two Player of the Match awards.
On the other hand, Ajakaye was the team’s top goal scorer during qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup where the team won a bronze medal in India.
The transfer of Madrid CFF forward, Rachael Kundananji to the NWSL side can be attributed to the acquisition of the two Nigerian players to occupy the midfield and attacking positions.
They continued FC Robo Queens’ tradition of players transferring players to Spanish top-flight teams.
Chidinma Okeke joined Madrid CFF from the team before Gift Monday switched from the same team to Costa Adeje Tenerife.
The likes of Asisat Oshoala and Rasheedat Ajibade who were also products of FC Robo Queens have also played for Spanish top-flight teams after stints in other European leagues.
With the arrival of the two players, Nigerian players in the Spanish top flight now increases to seven.
They include Gift Monday (Costa Adeje Tenerife), Rinsola Babajide (Costa Adeje Tenerife), Edna Imade (Granada), Toni Payne (Sevilla FC), and Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid).
