•Deborah Abiodun
Fast-rising Super Falcons midfielder, Deborah Abiodun, has become a household name in the NCAA Division I women’s soccer tournament with the University of Pittsburgh.
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organisation that governs intercollegiate athletics in the United States and Canada.
The 21-year-old, in her second year at the institution, was named to the Second Team All-ACC on Wednesday, gaining recognition as a top-ranked player for the second consecutive season and helping her university close out the regular season with a 9-6-3 overall record and a 3-5-2 mark in conference play, reports The PUNCH.
•Deborah Abiodun
Abiodun came on strong after missing six games due to injury before the start of ACC play. She scored her first goal of the season in a win over Clemson on October 3, 2024, and followed up with a brace in the Panthers’ 3-0 victory over Syracuse ten days later.
She also scored Pitt’s only goal against Florida State on October 20 and led the Panthers with four goals in ACC play.
This was her second time receiving the honour after being named in the Third Team and ACC All-Freshman Team selection in 2023.
The Ibadan-born player was also recently named in the PNC Achievers of the Week after scoring a brace to lead Pitt to a 3-0 win over Syracuse at Ambrose Urbanic Field.
She opened the scoring with a header from a Pitt corner in the 76th minute before completing her brace off another corner less than six minutes later for her second career multi-goal game.
Abiodun, who recorded the game-winning goal in her last two matches, began her professional career with Rivers Angels Football Club in the Nigerian Women’s Football League.
Her performances there caught the attention of scouts and led to a full scholarship offer from the University of Pittsburgh’s women’s soccer team in the United States.
