Rachi Falana’s voice trembles with emotion as she recounts her journey leading to the Asisat Oshola Academy, in downtown Lagos.
“Honestly, I never thought I’d be here,” she says in a recent virtual interview. “I’m from a place where, first of all, football wasn’t taken seriously, let alone by girls. But I loved it.”
Falana’s foray into the realm of football took off right from a school tournament, where she had participated in an inter-school match. Officials from the Asisat Oshoala Academy were present at the competition. “That day, I was just playing like I always do,” she recalls, her eyes aglow with the memory. “I remember telling myself, ‘Just do your best, Rachi. Show them what you’ve got.'” And show them she did.
Established by the popular Nigerian female football icon, the Asisat Oshoala Academy nurtures young female players across Nigeria in the game of football. The academy typically sends scouts to local matches to scout for promising young female players. Falana’s performance in the game that afternoon had set her out as one with great prospects.
“One of the coaches came up to me after the game,” she says. How would you feel about joining a training academy? the official asked her. “I thought he was pulling my leg,” Falana said. The truth came in weeks, when she received an acceptance letter, officially inducting her into the Asisat Oshoala Academy. She laughed at her reaction on receiving the offer.
“I screamed so loudly my mother thought something was wrong.” Hearing the news, her mother instantly gave her her blessing, urging her daughter to seize the initiative.
Life at the Academy was completely different from the one Falana was accustomed to. There were special training programs, accomplished trainers, including a curriculum that emphasised physical and mental strength.
“Everything was professional,” she says, the tone serious. “The coaches expected us to work hard, to push ourselves.” As a rookie player, she had great speed, a quality that set her apart from her peers. However, she lacked foresight, as one of the star trainers observed. Weeks of dedicated practice and she became better at anticipating her opponent’s actions and getting a feel of the field.
Alongside the rigorous practices are trainings in leadership and volunteering, where players are urged to prioritise community values. Asisat Oshoala, the founder of the academy, comes on occasion, during which she shares personal stories to inspire the girls with a sense of mission.
One day, during one of such visits, Asisat pulled Rachi aside. “She looked at me and said, ‘I see a lot of potential in you, but potential is nothing without hard work. If you really want this, you have to be ready to put in the hours.’,” she recalled. For Falana, those words became a mantra to live by.
Falana and other members of the team carry out outreaches in local schools and community centers hoping to inspire young schoolgirls to take a shot at football.
“I know how hard it is for girls to dream. I want to be a role model—to show them that if I can do it, they can too,” she notes.
These days, Falana is gearing herself for the next phase. She hopes to play for the national team, where she hopes she might win a scholarship that would catapult her to the international scene. But there’s more.
“One day, I want to have my own academy,” she says. “I want to give back, to help girls that don’t even know opportunities like this exist. Just like Asisat helped me, I want to be there for them.”
Coach Adamu, who has watched her grow from raw talent to a formidable player, believes in her potential “Rachi is one of the hardest-working players we have,” he said. “She is like a sponge—very absorbent.”
More than a training school
The Asisat Oshoala Academy is more than a training ground; it’s dismantling stereotypes and breaking barriers for girls in football. “When I think of how far I’ve come, I’m grateful,” says Rachi. “Without the academy, I’d still be playing on dusty fields, hoping for a miracle. Now, I know miracles can happen through hard work and belief.”
With conviction, she affirms, “Football isn’t just for boys. It’s for anyone with the guts to dream.” Her voice rings with pride as she adds, “I’ll keep dreaming and working because there’s so much more I want to achieve.” She beams into the camera, her journey just beginning.
Rachi Falana's journey to the Asisat Oshoala Academy in Lagos is a story of ambition and unexpected opportunity. Initially from a community where football, especially for girls, was not given importance, Falana's path changed at a school tournament attended by academy scouts. Her impressive performance led to an invitation to join the academy, much to her and her family’s delight. Life at the academy exposed her to rigorous training programs aimed at enhancing both physical and mental prowess, overseen by accomplished trainers and often inspired by the founder, Asisat Oshoala, herself.
The academy, founded by the prominent Nigerian footballer Asisat Oshoala, aims to nurture young female players and dismantle societal stereotypes concerning girls in sports. Falana, described as hard-working and absorbent of knowledge by her coach, not only participates in extensive training but also engages in community outreach to inspire other girls to pursue football. Her aspirations extend beyond playing for the national team, as she ultimately wants to establish her academy to provide similar opportunities to future generations.
Reflecting on her transformation and gratitude towards the academy, Falana is motivated by the mantra of potential coupled with hard work. Her experience exemplifies the intersection of dreams and dedication, with her eyes set on future achievements in her football career while also aspiring to give back to others in pursuit of their dreams.
