My Feet Bled Inside My First Rubber Boots — Abiodun

Super Falcons 2023 Women’s World Cup midfielder, Deborah Abiodun, has shared the story of how she bought her first pair of football boots with just N700.

She told pressmen about how her journey in the world of football began playing on a team with boys. She said her first boots were a gift from a coach named Yobo, when she was very young.

“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 said

“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.”

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 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.

“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,” she said.

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.