Sukurat Oladipo: From Robo Queens to Serie A Best

Barely a year after moving from Robo Queens of Lagos, during the 2025 winter transfer window, to pitch tents with Italy’s AS Roma Women team, Sukurat Oladipo had not only gone on to win the Serie A feminine, but has also been named Best Defender in Italy’s Serie A Women, after a standout 2025–26 season with AS Roma and was also named in Serie A Women Team of the Year.

Super Falcons defender, Sukurat Oladipo was, during the week, named Best Defender in Italy’s Serie A Women and was also named in the Serie A Women Team of the Year after a standout 2025–26 season with AS Roma, just weeks after helping her team win the Serie A Feminine.

The 21-year-old  defensive wall enjoyed a breakout campaign in Italy, following the club’s dominant title-winning season.

The former FC Robo Queens star established herself as a key figure in Roma’s defensive line, featuring in 18 Serie A matches with 15 starts and played 1,398 minutes as the team recorded 11 clean sheets during her involvement, while remaining unbeaten in the league matches she featured in.

During that time, she registered 27 interceptions, 27 successful tackles, 70 clearances and 104 ball recoveries, while helping Roma keep eight of their 12 clean sheets.

Earlier, Oladipo alongside compatriot, Rinsola Babajide  had won the Serie A feminile with AS Roma following decisive victory over Ternana.

The title-clinching triumph confirmed Roma Women’s growing dominance in Italian football, securing their third league crown and an impressive third championship in the last four seasons.

Reacting to the achievement, Oladipo said: “This is a huge moment for me and my family. Playing for a great club like Roma and winning the league is a blessing. I’ve learned a lot this season and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Oladipo stated.

The young centre-back further thanked the fans, coaches, and teammates for their support throughout the campaign.

“The support from the club and fans has been incredible. We worked hard for this title and I’m happy our efforts paid off,” she added.

The historic achievement once again highlights the growing impact of Nigerian players in European women’s football and further strengthens Nigeria’s reputation as a powerhouse in the women’s game.

For Oladipo, the Serie A triumph represents not just silverware, but a proud moment of Nigerian excellence on one of Europe’s biggest football stages.

For Babajide and Oladipo, the victory represents a defining moment in their careers. Both players have played important roles within a competitive squad, contributing to Roma’s depth and attacking strength throughout the campaign. Their involvement in a title-winning team marks a significant milestone, adding a major domestic honour to their growing football journeys.

For both Nigerian internationals, lifting the Serie A Feminile trophy represents a significant step forward, reinforcing their presence on the European as it is more than just a medal—it is the reward for persistence, adaptation, and contribution to a team built on ambition and success.

The Nigerian duo also made history by becoming the first Nigerian internationals from the same club to lift the Italian women’s top-flight league title together.

Oladipo joined AS Roma Women from Robo Queens FC in the Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) in the 2025 winter transfer window.

The 21-year-old, who can play both in the defence and midfield, signed a one-and-a-half-year deal that would see her play in Italy till 30 June 2027

She made 178 appearances for Robo Queens in the NWFL before her exit.

She was a member of the Falconets squad that won silver at the women’s football event of the 2024 African Games in Ghana.

Oladipo also participated in the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia. She played in all four of Falconets’ games at the competition.

She described the move to Roma then as “life-changing” and said it could only propel her football journey upward.

“It will help my career grow as a person and as a versatile footballer passionate about the game,” she had said.

Oladipo also relishes every single second coming her way in Nigeria’s camp during the last  Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Although the FC Robo Queens of Lagos product had  previously experienced the national camp with Nigeria’s under-17 and under-20 teams, the Flamingos and Falconets, respectively, the WAFCON was the first time she is rolling with the senior squad.

She then took her Super Falcons’ caps to three with her inclusion in the line-up for Nigeria’s third group match at the ongoing WAFCON, and she got high marks in the goalless draw with Algeria.

She thanked all the senior players in the squad, noting that the encouragement and words of advice they kept giving her helped her settle down pretty fast.

Oladipo stated ecstatically, “The senior players encourage me, and they talk to me. Mostly, during training, they cheer me up, and they support me with everything that I need.

“So, I really want to appreciate them for their support, for their love, and for everything.”

The 21-year-old attacker also gave thanks to God for helping her settle down firmly into the Falcons’ mainframe and for the roles of the senior players, especially as she came out unscathed in the clash with Algeria.

She added, “It’s not easy to play for the national team. So, I just have to thank all of them for their love. I also thank God for this opportunity.

“Without God, I wouldn’t be able to go far in this career. So, I thank God first and, second, I am very happy that I was able to travel out (to play abroad).”

She submitted her thoughts about the Falcons’ campaign in Morocco, saying: “I am highly excited to be in this WAFCON and that I was able to play a match. To me, it’s a big opportunity in my career.”

Up next for her and compatriot Rinsola Babajide, will see all attention turned to the Coppa Italia Femminile final against Juventus tomorrow, where Roma will aim to complete a domestic double, and at this rate nothing is impossible.