Oshoala Ruled Out Of WAFCON 2022 Over Injury

Asisat Oshoala will miss the rest of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) due to a knee injury.

Oshoala Ruled Out Of WAFCON 2022 Over Injury
Asisat Oshoala

Asisat Oshoala has been ruled out of the ongoing 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco due to injury.

Oshoala picked up the injury in the Super Falcons’ 2-1 defeat to the Banyana Banyana of South Africa on Monday night.

The Barcelona Femeni star was badly tackled by a South African early in the game but stayed on the pitch until 82 minutes.

The striker was replaced by winger Francisca Ordega.

“Sad news from @NGSuper_Falcons camp: Top striker @AsisatOshoala is out of the ongoing #WAFCON2022. She sustained a Grade 2 Medial Collateral Ligament strain in the game against South Africa. She is due back in Spain on Thursday. Get well quick Asisat!, reads a tweet on the official Twitter handle of the Nigeria Football Federation.

Meanwhile, the Falcons hope to bounce back from their defeat to South Africa when they take on debutants and Group C leaders, Botswana on Thursday.

This year’s WAFCON also doubles as qualifiers for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Africa's most decorated female footballer, Oshoala is the first woman from the continent to claim Spain's golden boot, despite missing two months of the season through injury.

Oshoala, who recently signed a deal to remain with the Spanish giants until the end of the 2023-24 campaign, has been plagued by thigh and knee injuries in the past nine months.

She won her third Women's Africa Cup of Nations with the Super Falcons in Ghana in 2018, scoring three goals as Nigeria lifted the title for the ninth time.

The maiden BBC Women's Footballer of the Year winner also helped Nigeria reach the last 16 at the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.

Oshoala won the Confederation of African Football's Women's Player of the Year award for a fourth time in 2020 - equalling the record of fellow Nigerian Perpetua Nkwocha.