Nigerians Drive Roma to Italian Title
Two Nigerian internationals have made history by leading AS Roma Femminile to the Serie A title. Rinsola Babajide and Shukurat Oladipo are the first pair from the country to win the Italian top flight together. Roma sealed the trophy on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Ternana at the Stadio Tre Fontane. Manuela Giugliano scored both goals to end a clinical campaign. The club now sits six points clear of Inter Milan with two games to spare.
Roma has won three of the last four league titles. This season relied on a 15-game unbeaten run that broke the resolve of their rivals. Nigerian talent proved vital to this consistency at both ends of the pitch. The club has effectively replaced old hierarchies in Italian football with a new, durable dominance. Winning the league with matches in hand shows the gulf in quality between Roma and the chasing pack.
Shukurat Oladipo became a bedrock of the defence after her move from FC Robo Queens. The 21-year-old played 16 matches and logged over 1,200 minutes in her first full European season. Her positioning and strength helped Roma maintain the best defensive record in the league. She rarely missed a game and earned the trust of her coaches during high-pressure fixtures. Oladipo offers proof that the Nigerian domestic league can produce players ready for the elite level.
Rinsola Babajide provided the attacking spark needed to unlock stubborn opponents. She arrived from Spain last July and scored on her debut against Parma. While often used as an impact substitute, her two goals and crucial assists turned tight games into victories. She played a key role in the narrow win over AC Milan and the decisive matches against Inter. Her pace allowed Roma to change the tempo of games whenever the midfield became too crowded.
Both players helped the club reach the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stages. They featured in the playoff wins against Sporting CP to ensure Roma remained a force on the continent. These performances suggest that the duo can handle the physical and mental demands of elite football. They have integrated into a squad that demands perfection every week. Their success will likely encourage more Italian scouts to look toward West Africa for reinforcements.
Roma now aims for a domestic double in the Coppa Italia final on 24 May. They face Juventus in Vicenza for the last trophy of the season. Babajide and Oladipo have a chance to add more silverware to an already record-breaking year. Victory would confirm Roma as the undisputed queens of Italian football. The Nigerian pair has not just won a league title. They have built a legacy in the heart of Rome.