Why I dumped England to play for Nigeria – Ex-Liverpool star, Babajide
Former Liverpool Star Rinsola Babajide Switches National Representation to Nigeria
Rinsola Babajide, a former player for Liverpool, has officially changed her national representation from England to Nigeria. Babajide expressed a long-standing desire to compete in the Women’s African Cup of Nations, citing her Nigerian heritage as a significant factor in her decision.
Born in London, Babajide was a member of the England U20 team that secured a bronze medal at the 2018 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup. She has also represented England at the U18, U19, and U23 levels, earning caps with those squads before FIFA permitted her switch.
The Roma forward participated in training sessions with the Lionesses before making her debut for Nigeria’s Super Falcons in an Olympic qualifying match against Ethiopia in October 2023. The Nigeria Football Federation has been tracking Babajide’s progress for years, although her agent initially advised her to remain in England, believing she had opportunities with the senior national team.
In 2016, Babajide gained attention in Nigeria after scoring 14 goals for the University of East London women’s football team, a season that included a notable 40-0 victory over University College London.
Reflecting on her decision to represent Nigeria, Babajide stated, “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.” She added that the transition allowed her to connect more deeply with her culture.
Babajide was part of the Nigerian squad that triumphed at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, during which she scored her first international goal in a group-stage match against Tunisia. In her victory, she paid tribute to the late Liverpool player Diogo Jota.
“The proudest moment of my career so far was definitely lifting the WAFCON trophy in my very first major tournament,” she said.
Now, with a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations medal to her name, Babajide aims to represent the Super Falcons in the upcoming Olympic Games and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
