Desire Oparanozie appears to have moved past the rumored discord with her former Super Falcons teammate, Asisat Oshoala.
The Super Falcons legend has shifted her focus from the speculated feud and is now actively encouraging Nigerians to vote for Barcelona Femeni star Oshoala at the Globe Soccer Awards.
Oparanozie and Oshoala were reportedly in conflict after the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. Oparanozie, the captain of the Super Falcons during the tournament, advocated for her teammates in their dispute with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The team, including Oparanozie, threatened to boycott games at the 2019 FIFA World Cup unless their bonuses were paid. While the matter was eventually resolved, Oparanozie was excluded from the team for about three years following the tournament.
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Oshoala, also part of the Super Falcons squad, did not support her teammate, assuming the captain’s armband instead. This allegedly fueled tension between the two players. Nevertheless, Oparanozie seems to have moved on from the discord, urging Nigerians to rally behind Oshoala in the Globe Soccer Awards.
Oshoala is nominated for the Best Women’s Player of the Year award but currently lags behind in the voting, securing only 6.5% of the votes. Oparanozie has taken to her social media to share the voting link and implore Nigerians to vote massively for Oshoala.
“Hello Nigerians, this isn’t us at all. How is our girl @asisat_oshoala not on top of the table? Below is your direct link to vote. Let it rain. Let’s go,” Oparanozie posted, accompanied by the voting link.
Despite Oparanozie’s endorsement, Oshoala faces a formidable challenge, with her Barcelona teammate Aitana Bonmati currently leading the voting race at 49.2%. She is also trailing behind Real Madrid and Colombia star Linda Caicedo, who holds the second position with 9.6% of the votes.