Super Falcons’ midfielder for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Deborah Abiodun, shared her remarkable journey of purchasing her first football boots for just N700. She reminisced about her early days in football when she played with boys and how a coach named Yobo gifted her that cherished pair of boots. “My first pair of boots, I think, was given to me when I was very young by one of my godfathers, Coach Yobo. He’s one of the main reasons for my success today. He supported me from childhood, treating me like his own daughter. He provided me with boots and took me to matches. I used to play on a boys’ team, and he would bring me along to matches with them. I have many wonderful memories, and he was the one who gave me my first pair of boots,” she expressed.
But the first boots she bought with her own money were rubber boots, popularly known as ’Fulani boots,’ and they cost just N700. These rubber boots were her pride and joy, even though they made her feet burn on a hot synthetic field. They marked a significant step in her football journey.
“The first boots I bought with my money were those 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 was on a synthetic field.
“During the day it was so hot, my feet were 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 got,” she told PUNCH Sports Extra.
Fast forward to her current success, Abiodun has been on fire for her team, the University of Pittsburgh Women’s Soccer. She recently scored her fourth goal in a 1-1 draw against Notre Dame, thanks to a well-timed header from a corner kick.
The 19-year-old midfielder has come a long way since her red card during the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia. She now enjoys scoring goals for her college team in the United States of America, and she credits coach Randy Waldrum for her progress.
