Opeyemi Ajakaye

Last updated

Opeyemi Ajakaye
Personal information
Full name Opeyemi Esther Ajakaye
Date of birth (2005-12-30) December 30, 2005 (age 19)
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 FC Robo
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
–2024 FC Robo
2024 Madrid CFF 0 (0)
2024 Kansas City Current 0 (0)
2024 → Carolina Ascent (loan) 2 (0)
2025– FC Robo
International career‡
2022 Nigeria U-17 6 (1)
2024– Nigeria U-20 2 (0)
2023– Nigeria 1 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 24 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals as of 12 September 2024

Opeyemi Esther Ajakaye (born 30 December 2005) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for NWFL Premiership club FC Robo and the Nigeria national team. She won bronze with the Flamingoes at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. [1] [2]

Contents

Club career

Ajakaye transferred from Nigerian club FC Robo to Spanish Liga F club Madrid CFF in February 2024. [3] In October, it was reported that she left the Spanish club to play for an undisclosed club in the United States. [4]

Ajakaye was acquired by National Women's Soccer League club Kansas City Current and sent on loan to USL Super League club Carolina Ascent FC in November 2024, [5] making two appearances in the last games of the year. [6] She mutually agreed to end her contract with Kansas City in January 2025. [7]

Ajakaye returned to FC Robo in January 2025. [8]

International career

Ajakaye helped Nigeria win the bronze medal at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. On 30 October 2022, she scored the first goal for Nigeria in the third place match against Germany, which ended as a 3–3 draw; she then scored the winning penalty to secure the medal. [5] [9]

Ajakaye made her senior debut for the Super Falcons on 25 October 2023, substituting for Asisat Oshoala in the last minutes of a 1–1 draw to Ethiopia in the 2024 CAF Women's Olympic qualifying tournament. [10]

On 20 January 2024, Ajakaye scored the only goal against the Burundi U-20s as Nigeria won the last stage of 2024 African U-20 Women's World Cup qualification 2–0 on aggregate. [11] She was included in the squad for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, where Nigeria lost to the eventual finalists Japan in the quarterfinals. [12]

References

  1. ↑ "Opeyemi Ajakaye Biography - ESPN (UK)". ESPN. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  2. ↑ "Summary - Opeyemi Ajakaye - Results, fixtures, squad, statistics, photos, videos - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  3. ↑ "Oficial – Ajakaye ya es del Madrid CFF". Madrid CFF. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  4. ↑ "Ajakaye to join Super Falcons stars Oshoala, Alozie, Payne, Kanu in USA; departs Madrid CFF". All Nigeria Soccer. 4 October 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Nigerian Youth International Opeyemi Ajakaye Joins Carolina Ascent FC on Loan from Kansas City Current". Carolina Ascent FC. 5 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  6. ↑ Opeyemi Ajakaye at Soccerway OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  7. ↑ "Kansas City Current Provide Roster Update As Preseason Camp Kicks Off". Kansas City Current. 15 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  8. ↑ "NWFL: Ajakaye returns to help Robo Queens to victory". nigeriasoccernet.com. 23 January 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  9. ↑ Ahmed, Abdulateef (31 October 2022). "How Nigeria's Flamingos Beat Germany to Win U17 World Cup Bronze". News Central . Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  10. ↑ Adeleye, Adegboyega (25 October 2023). "2024 Olympic Qualifier: Young striker Ajakaye 'cherishes' Super Falcons debut". Vanguard . Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  11. ↑ Erons, Imhons (20 January 2024). "Colombia 2024: Nigeria 1-0 Burundi (2-0 agg.) – Esther Ajakaye sends Falconets to FIFA U20 Women's World Cup". soccernet.ng. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  12. ↑ "Falconets crash out of U20 World Cup". Score Nigeria. 13 September 2024. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
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