Babajide Explains England Snub For Nigeria Call-Up

Super Falcons, Rinsola Babajide, has revealed her decision to switch international allegiance from England to Nigeria was driven by a long-held ambition to compete in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and a desire to connect with her Nigerian heritage.

Born in London, Babajide represented England at various youth levels, including being part of the Young Lionesses squad that secured bronze at the 2018 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup. She also earned caps for England’s U18, U19, and U23 teams before FIFA approved her change of association.

The current Roma forward was invited to two Lionesses training sessions before making her senior debut for the Super Falcons in an Olympic qualifier against Ethiopia in October 2023. The Nigeria Football Federation had reportedly been monitoring Babajide’s progress for several years, though her agent initially advised her to remain with England, believing she had a strong chance of breaking into the senior squad.

Babajide first caught the attention of Nigerian fans in 2016 after scoring fourteen goals for the University of East London women’s football team, including a remarkable 40-0 victory over University College London.

Speaking to 49th Street, Babajide explained: “When I finally decided to move abroad because of what happened when I left Liverpool, Nigeria reached out to me, and it felt like an obvious choice. It gave me the chance to not only represent Nigeria, which is a big honour, but also to get closer to my culture and myself.”

She was a key member of the Nigeria team that triumphed in the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where she netted her first international goal in a group-stage match against Tunisia. Babajide described the win as a “huge accomplishment” and “the best part of my career so far.”