Super Falcons midfielder Deborah Abiodun, has opened up on her early begining as a footballer back in Nigeria npflupdates.com reports.
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Deborah Abiodun started football on the streets of Nigeria before earning a lucrative move abroad. She shot to limelight when she made the Super Falcons squad at the recently concluded 2023 FIFA women’s world cup tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
Most footballers of Nigerian extraction especially those that rose from the grassroot, has one life-changing story to tell to potential professionals.
And in the case of Deborah, one of such story revolved around procurement of kits for herself. According to the 19-year-old, her first pair of boot was a gift from her then coach nicknamed ‘Yobo’.
Deborah Abiodun tells her story as a grassroot footballer
“I think my first pair of boots, if I’m not mistaken, was gotten by one of my godfathers when I was very little. His name is coach Yobo, he’s one of the reasons why I am where I am today. He has supported me since I was a child,” she told The PUNCH Nigeria.
Speaking further, the Nigerian who got red-carded in her first match at the FIFA women’s world cup, confessed sharing the same dressing room, and pitch with male potential professional footballers; thanks to Coach Yobo.
“He took me as his biological daughter and he got me boots, he took me for matches. It was a male team actually, but he was always taking me alongside the boys for matches. I have a lot of great memories, and he was actually the one that got me my first pair of boots.”
She added, “The first boots I bought with my money were these boots that we used to call ‘Fulani boots.’ They sold them for N700, it’s rubber boots. Those were the first ones I got with my own money, the first place I used it on was on a synthetic field.
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“During the day it was so hot, my feet was burning but I had to do what I loved doing. I didn’t care, I was even bleeding. Those were the first pair of boots I actually got.”
Now, fast forward to her current success, Deborah Abiodun has been on fire for her club team. She most recently scored her fourth goal in a 1-1 draw against Notre Dame.
