BEVERLY HILLS, January 28, (THEWILL) – In the latest episode of the FIFA PlayOn Podcast, the influence of African music and culture on the lives of two of Nigeria’s most popular women, football superstar for Barcelona Femeni Asisat Oshoala and award-winning singer-songwriter Tiwa Savage, took centre stage.
This pair of inspirational and talented women broke it down to the podcast’s co-hosts, Universal Music Group’s global chart-topping artist Liam Payne and sports broadcaster Jaydee Dyer, explaining how their love of Afrobeats inspired them to overcome the odds and become the trailblazing global icons they are today.
The 26-year-old prolific striker admitted how “emotional” it was to revisit tough times from her past through her selection of six songs all of which represented a personal soundtrack to her life and reminded her of how far she had come.
“It made me think back to how I left my family and created my own happiness out of nothing. These songs kept me going,” Oshoala reminisced.
The professional footballer and captain of Nigeria’s Super Falcons explained how her strict upbringing forced her to hide her passion for football from her parents until she shot to international prominence as the top goalscorer and player of the tournament at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada.
After leaving Nigeria to pursue her football dreams, Oshoala encountered further challenges in England that threatened to dampen her zeal but she overcame them. She left England for a spell in China PR that completely revitalised her career and paved the way for her move to the Catalan side in Spain.
For singer-songwriter Savage, the path to stardom was not entirely dissimilar. She explained the significant hurdles she constantly faced on her ascent, and how her resilience led to her becoming the first woman to win the Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2018.
The hardworking duo elaborated on their previous collaborations on their music and on their determination to use their profiles, in sport and entertainment, to drive social change by empowering women and girls to rise beyond challenges and resolutely strive to be the best at what they do.
“Each time I go on the pitch I want to represent the whole of Africa,” Oshoala said. “It’s about how many people you inspire, and I want to leave a legacy.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
