Jamaica’s Nigerian-born female footballer, Olufolashade ‘Shade’ Adamolekun is still relishing the role she played in helping adopted country snatch a 1-0 win over Nigeria’s women squad, Super Falcons on Thursday.
Megasportsarena.com reports that it was the opening game of the 2021 WNT Summer Series Invitational Tournament in Texas, USA, and Adamolekun’s role in the win was pivotal for The Reggae Queens.
Although Adamolekun could not get on the scorers’ chart during the game, she was overjoyed seeing Deneisha Blackwood, who plays for Houston Dash in USA’s National Women’s Soccer League, scored in the 51st minute for the Jamaicans.
It was a befitting testimonial for Adamolekun, who up till mid-2019 had been contemplating the direction of her international allegiance, with the option of choosing Nigeria, USA or Jamaica starring her boldly in the eyes.
The 20-year-old fast-rising gazelle, who was born in Austin, USA to a Jamaican mother, Michelle, and Nigerian father, Lanre, had options when it came to her international soccer future.
Shade’s path began at a local YMCA and quickly led her to Lonestar Soccer Club, the training hub for many Austin youth players. She played at the club from age 7 to 15 and played her freshman season at Lake Travis High School.
Shade, an attack-minded player, who prefers to play in central midfield but often lines up on the wing or at forward, was born in Austin, Texas to a Jamaican mother and a Nigerian father, which makes her eligible to represent United States, Jamaica and Nigeria at international level.
She first played for United States youth teams before switching allegiance to Jamaica, whom she represented at the CONCACAF U-20 Women’s Championship, following which the United Soccer Alliance attacker blossomed as one of the rising stars of Jamaican female football.
Her brother, Nathaniel Adamolekun earlier also pledged his international future to Jamaica and is currently on the books of Feirense of Portugal and, aa sophomore at Fleming Island High School, Sade earned the All-First Coast 1st Team Award in 2017 after scoring 22 goals.
In 2017 and 2018, Adamolekun was the recipient of the United Soccer Coaches Youth Girls All-South Region Award and she was also recognized and named to the US Development Academy’s U16/U17 East Conference Best XI in the inaugural season of the Girls program in 2018.
At the age of 17, Adamolekun first appeared for the senior Jamaica women’s national team on 28 October 2018, netting a brace in a 3–0 friendly win against Nottingham Forest Ladies.
Following the historic FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification by the Jamaica women’s national football team, Adamolekun was named to its 2019 World Cup training camp roster in January 2019.
She received her next call up for the second 2019 World Cup preparation camp in Jamaica, and made her official senior international debut as a substitute in the 1–0 friendly win against Chile on February 28, 2019.
She also featured as a substitute in Jamaica’s 3–2 friendly win against Chile on March 3, 2019 and, at the he age of 18 years old and prior to graduating High School, Adamolekun was named as one of the 23 players selected by the Jamaica women’s national football team for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup squads.
On May 24, 2019, the Jamaican team played their final game in Miramar, Florida in The Reggae Girlz’ Foundation World Cup Send Off Celebration, before departing for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
In October 2019, she scored twice in her debut with the Jamaican senior team, a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest Ladies in England, after which she started and had an assist in the team’s send-off match, a 3-1 win over Panama in Kingston, Jamaica.
The Reggae Girlz shocked many female football zealots when they beat Panama in penalty kicks to secure a place at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
Her friends, family and teammates call her Sade — pronounced “Shah-day.” The Adamolekun family moved to Florida in 2016, after Michelle’s job shifted from Austin to the Jacksonville area.
They still have a home in the Lake Travis school district that they visit regularly, including in March when Sade’s school was on spring break.
She was preparing to go to France, no matter what — practicing basic French phrases using an app on her phone. “She’s a Nijamairican,” Michelle said.
That is the term she’s proudly attached to the couple’s two children, Olufolasade and Nathaniel, a 20-year-old professional soccer player who has appeared for Jamaican youth national teams.
Shade submitted: “I feel like it’s our family thing. We love sports, and growing up having a sibling who also plays the same sport as me definitely helped. We were able to push each other.
“I don’t think you choose the country you play for, the country chooses you. With the opportunity of asking me to play, I took it and made sure to show them what I was capable of doing.
“I know it means a lot to my family — especially my mom’s side, as she’s from Jamaica. So it’s definitely a huge, cool thing.”
