EUROPE’s football governing body UEFA has celebrated Asisat Oshoala as the first African woman to win the UEFA Champions League.

The 26-year-old Nigerian striker was substituted in the 71st minute of the finals with Barcelona defeating Chelsea 4–0 on Sunday night. She scored the fifth goal in last minutes of the game, but it was ruled offside.

Oshoala’s victory comes a day after two other Nigerians, Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi, who play for Leicester City football club, made history by winning the FA Cup for the first time, breaking a 52-year old jinx.

Reacting to the win, UEFA wrote on its women’s Champions League verified Twitter handle: “@AsisatOshoala is the first African player to win the #UWCL!”

Before the game in Gothenburg, the four-time African Women’s Player of the Year claimed that Barca had learned from their final defeat to Lyon in 2019.

“Now, we have the experience of how European football is and also how a top game like this is played. I think we’re going to be better with our tactics this year, how we go out and play and everything,” she told the media.

In 2019, Oshoala scored Barcelona’s only goal in a 4–1 defeat to Lyon in the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final, becoming the first African and Nigerian to score in a Champions League Final.

Oshoala was the highest goal scorer at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and was named best player at the tournament. She was also named best player and second top goalscorer with the Super Falcons team that won the 2014 African Women’s Championship.

In September 2014, Oshoala became a member of the Order of the Niger by President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan. In March, she was named among Forbes 30 Under 30 inspirational women.