AS Roma Femminile of Italy striker, Rinsola Babajide is relishing her status in Nigeria’s women’s national team, Super Falocns, but she goes on to confess that growing up in England helped the development of her game to a higher level while playing youth football for the country of her birth.
Sports247 reports that the 28-year-old forward is thinking big ahead of this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, but that does not stop her from recalling her early days in England, where she played for the female teams of Crystal Palace, Millwall, Watford, Liverpool as well as Brighton & Hove Albion.
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Babajide, who also previously featured for Real Betis and UDG Tenerife of Spain, is now hoping that her early experience in the round leather game will once again come to bear on her form with the Falocns at this year’s WAFCON, which is scheduled for Morocco from the 26th of this month to August 16th.
Having won the Italian Serie A Femminile title with Roma a few weeks ago Babajide is beaming with victorious thoughts and boldly told thenff.com that the added hope of making it to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup from the continental showpiece will make the competition twice as exciting.
Babajide, who was in England’s squad that won bronze at the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, but made her senior debut for Nigeria on October 25th, 2023 in an Olympic Games qualifier versus Ethiopia, said: “We all know that this year’s Women AFCON is also for qualification to the World Cup finals.
“Of course, we all want to be there. I think it will make it more competitive but, for us, the goal remains the same. We know what it takes to win and, as a team, we will give it our all in Morocco to retain the trophy. We are all determined to make Nigeria proud in Morocco.
“For us as a team, the pressure is the same – as we want to win. We know what we signed up for as professionals and, being the defending champions, we want to retain our trophy. I’ve been blessed to have the best of two worlds. England helped me develop my game from age-grade football.
“I am forever grateful for that. I have continued to grow as an experienced player with Nigeria, and I do not take this for granted. I have learnt resilience and professionalism in both environments. These make me a better player and a better person.”
