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
Kansas City Current
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
–2024 FC Robo
2024 Madrid CFF 0 (0)
2024 Kansas City Current 0 (0)
2024Carolina Ascent (loan) 2 (0)
International career
2022 Nigeria U-17 6 (1)
2024– Nigeria U-20 2 (0)
2023– Nigeria 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 September 2024

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

Contents

Club career

Ajakaye transferred from Nigerian club FC Robo to Spanish Liga F club Madrid CFF in February 2024. [1] In October, it was reported that she left the Spanish club to play for an undisclosed club in the United States. [2]

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, [3] making two appearances in the last games of the year. [4] She mutually agreed to end her contract with Kansas City in January 2025. [5]

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. [3] [6]

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. [7]

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. [8] 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. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigeria women's national football team</span> Womens national football team representing Nigeria

The Nigeria women's national football team, nicknamed the Super Falcons, represents Nigeria in international women's football and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The team is Africa's most successful international women's football team, having won a record eleven Women's Africa Cup of Nations titles; their most recent title in 2018, after defeating South Africa in the final. The team is also the only women's national team from the Confederation of African Football to have reached the quarterfinals in both the FIFA Women's World Cup and the Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rita Chikwelu</span> Nigerian footballer

Rita Chikwelu is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward and midfielder for the Saudi Women's Premier League club Al-Riyadh and the Nigeria women's national team. She previously played for Swedish sides Umeå IK and Kristianstads DFF and later for the Spanish clubs Madrid CFF and Levante Las Planas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asisat Oshoala</span> Nigerian footballer (born 1994)

Asisat Lamina OshoalaMON is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Bay FC and the Nigeria women's national team. She is widely regarded as one of the best female players in women's football and her generation. She is one of the most celebrated African female footballers of all time, having won African Women's Footballer of the Year a record six times.

Francisca Ordega is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for CSKA Moscow in the Russian Women's Football Championship.

Courtney Ozioma Dike is a footballer who plays as a forward. Born in the United States, she represents the Nigeria women's national football team at international level.

Sarah Nnodim is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Nasarawa Amazons in the Nigerian Women's Championship. She plays internationally for the Nigeria women's national football team, having previously been a member of the Nigeria women's national under-20 football team which reached the final of the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophia Omotola Omidiji</span> Nigerian-American footballer

Sophia Omotola Omidiji is a Nigerian-American football player. She played for the Nigerian U-20 Women National team and is signed to Dutch Division I Club S.B.V. Excelsior after completing a switch from KAA Gent in Belgium in June 2017.

Peter Dedevbo is a soccer coach who is currently the head coach of the Nigerian U20- Women's National team. In 2014, he led the Nigerian women U20 squad to final of the U20 worldcup in Canada.

Chinwendu Veronica Ihezuo is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga MX Femenil club Pachuca and the Nigeria women's national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rasheedat Ajibade</span> Nigerian footballer (born 1999)

Rasheedat Busayo Ajibade is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish Liga F club Atlético Madrid and the Nigeria women's national team. She is commonly called "Rash", a shortened form of her first name, and "The Girl With The Blue Hair", an ode to her bright blue hairstyle which she dons whenever she takes to the field.

Charity Chetachukwu Reuben is a Nigerian footballer, who plays for Al Ahly Women. She previously represented Ibom Angels in the Nigeria Women Premier League, and Nigeria women's national under-20 football team. For the 2017 Nigeria Women Premier League, she scored eight goals, the most by any player in the league.

Anam Imo is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Piteå IF in the Damallsvenskan and the national football team. She has also played for the under-20 team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geyse</span> Brazilian footballer (born 1998)

Geyse da Silva Ferreira, commonly known as Geyse and previously Pretinha, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for English Women's Super League club Manchester United and the Brazil national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiamaka Nnadozie</span> Nigerian footballer (born 2000)

Chiamaka Cynthia Nnadozie is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Première Ligue club Paris FC and the Nigeria women's national team. She has been regarded as the best female goalkeeper in Africa and one of the best in the world.

Chidinma Nkeruka Okeke is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Liga MX Femenil side Club América and the Nigeria women's national team. She was formerly at FC Robo in the Nigeria Women Premier League, Madrid CFF in Liga F, Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Ligat Nashim and MyNavi Sendai in WE League. She was part of the Nigerian team that won the 2019 WAFU Women's Cup in Ivory Coast.

Gift Nyakno Monday is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Spanish Liga F club UD Tenerife and the Nigeria women's national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vicky López</span> Spanish footballer (born 2006)

Victoria López Serrano Felix is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger for Liga F club Barcelona and the Spain national team. She also plays for FC Barcelona B.

Rofiat Imuran is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a defender for Women's Championship club London City Lionesses and the Nigeria women's national team.

Oluwatosin Blessing Demehin is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a defender for Turkish Women's Football Super League club Galatasaray and the Nigeria women's national team.

Esther Chinemerem Onyenezide is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Spanish women's club Madrid CFF and the Nigeria women's national team.

References

  1. "Oficial – Ajakaye ya es del Madrid CFF". Madrid CFF. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  2. "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.
  3. 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.
  4. Opeyemi Ajakaye at Soccerway OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  5. "Kansas City Current Provide Roster Update As Preseason Camp Kicks Off". Kansas City Current. 15 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  6. Ahmed, Abdulateef (31 October 2022). "How Nigeria's Flamingos Beat Germany to Win U17 World Cup Bronze". News Central . Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  7. Adeleye, Adegboyega (25 October 2023). "2024 Olympic Qualifier: Young striker Ajakaye 'cherishes' Super Falcons debut". Vanguard . Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  8. 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.
  9. "Falconets crash out of U20 World Cup". Score Nigeria. 13 September 2024. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.