Two promising Nigerian teenagers, Shakirat Olamide Oyinlola and Miracle Usani, have embarked on a new journey as they sign with the La Liga Academy in Madrid, Spain, MySportDab reports.
Their move to Europe signifies their ambition to pursue professional football careers.
Both Oyinlola and Usani made their mark as members of the Nigeria U17 FIFA Women’s World Cup squads last year.
Oyinlola, a talented defender, decided to leave her former club, Naija Ratels, in the Nigerian Women’s Football League, to chase her dreams on the Spanish turf.
Seventeen-year-old Oyinlola expressed her excitement on social media, sharing, “Delighted to start a new journey with La Liga Academy.
All thanks to God. The process continues.” Her enthusiasm is palpable as she takes this significant step in her football career.
https://x.com/Olamideoyin17/status/1705488740917854655?s=20
During the U17 World Cup, Oyinlola served as Nigeria’s first-choice centre-back, showcasing her defensive prowess.
On the other hand, Miracle Usani, despite being a full-back, emerged as Nigeria’s top goalscorer at the tournament, contributing two goals and an assist.
Her standout performances helped the Flamingoes secure a historic bronze medal – the country’s best finish in the competition.
Usani found the back of the net in the tournament’s opening game, a 2-1 encounter against Germany, and also in the second game, a dominant 4-0 victory over New Zealand.
Although Nigeria narrowly lost in the semifinals to Colombia, they redeemed themselves by defeating Germany on penalties in the third-place match.
Now, both Usani and Oyinlola are set to leverage the world-class facilities and opportunities offered by the La Liga Academy to propel their careers to greater heights.
The La Liga Academy stands as a global initiative committed to nurturing grassroots soccer talent from around the world.
The signing of these two promising Nigerian talents by the La Liga Academy underscores the growing recognition of the talent pool in African football.
As they embark on their journey in Spain, football enthusiasts eagerly anticipate their development and the impact they may make on the international stage in the years to come.
