Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala has capped off a stunning start to her Al Hilal career by being named the Saudi Women’s Premier League Player of the Month for September.

The 30-year-old forward, who joined the Riyadh giants from Bay FC in September, topped a fan poll conducted by the league body on X, securing 55 per cent of the 37,560 votes. Al Ahli’s Moroccan star Ibtissam Jraïdi finished second with 44 per cent, while Al Nassr’s Tanzanian striker Clara Luvanga polled just one per cent.

The league confirmed Oshoala’s award on Wednesday, celebrating her early impact: “In her first month in our league: 3 goals, 2 assists. Asisat Oshoala of Al Hilal wins the award for the best player of the month.”

Oshoala’s nomination came after a blistering run of three matches in which she played every minute, scoring three goals and providing two assists. Her contributions powered Al Hilal to a perfect start, three wins from three, with no goals conceded.

While Jraïdi matched Oshoala’s tally of three goals and two assists, Al Ahli slipped to a defeat, hurting her chances in the vote. Luvanga, meanwhile, leads the overall scoring charts with four goals and one assist from three matches for defending champions Al Nassr, who are chasing a fourth consecutive league crown.

The award announcement adds extra spice to the upcoming Saudi women’s “classico,” as Jraïdi’s Al Ahli face Luvanga’s Al Nassr in a clash that could shape the early title race. Both clubs are determined to end Al Nassr’s dominance, with the yellow and blue side having won every edition of the league since its inception in 2022.

For Oshoala, the recognition further cements her reputation as one of Africa’s greatest ever players.

Her glittering résumé includes six seasons with Barcelona, where she scored 107 goals in 149 appearances, winning five straight Liga F titles and two UEFA Women’s Champions League trophies. She also previously played for Arsenal and Liverpool in England, as well as Dalian Quanjian in China, where she won a league title.

At Al Hilal, Oshoala joins a strong Nigerian contingent in Saudi Arabia, including Ashleigh Plumptre and Francisca Ordega (Al-Ittihad), Chinonyerem Macleans (Al-Shabab), and Rita Chikwelu (Al-Riyadh).