Asisat Oshoala Super Falcons Star Wins BBC Footballer Of The Year

Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala has been named the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year.

The Liverpool striker was announced the winner of the inaugural BBC award on Tuesday, May 26 but was presented with her trophy the previous day. 

According to the NFF official website, Oshoala was handed her plaque after the international friendly between the Nigeria and Canada senior women teams at the Kia Training Ground, Toronto, which ended 0-0.

Oshoala won the award ahead of Veronica Boquete (Spain and FFC Frankfurt) Nadine Kessler (Germand and VFL Wolfsburg), Kim Little (Scotland and Seattle Reign FC) and Marta (Brazil and FC Rosengard).

The 20-year-old who is currently the African Footballer of the Year has been has been having a good year and will hope to continue her impressive run at the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada.

At the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup also in Canada, Oshola was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament as Nigeria reached the final.

She was also the Most Valuable Player at the African Women Championship in Namibia in October 2014, as Nigeria won her seventh title.

"I would like to say thank you to the BBC, to my fans around the world and to everyone who voted," she told BBC Sports.

Oshoala is currently with the Super Falcons team in Canada preparing for the FIFA Women's World Cup and she thinks her win will spur the team to the title.

"It's a really good thing for us as a team because we now know that we have something great and now we want to go at the trophy. We can do it, we did it in 2014 we can also do it this year as well.

"There is going to be a lot of motivation for women's football in Nigeria now because of this award because there are a lot of fans out there.

"Support for women's football in Nigeria is now growing very high," Oshoala said.

"I know my Liverpool Ladies coach is going to be happy right now. Before I left the UK he called me and said to me 'don't worry I hope you win the award and we're going to celebrate it when you come back'," she added.

Asisat kicked off her career in 2009 with FC Robo Queens of Lagos.

After four years, she moved to  Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt before joining  Liverpool Ladies FC in January 2015.