Asisat Oshoala, the six-time African women’s player of the year and the top scorer in Bay FC’s short history, is leaving the club for Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.
The move, which was announced Tuesday morning, had been rumored recently as Oshoala appeared in just one of Bay’s five matches since the NWSL’s summer break, subbing on for 15 minutes in an Aug. 13 loss to San Diego Wave FC at PayPal Park. She was excused from the team’s match Monday evening at Angel City FC — a 2-1 loss — as she reportedly traveled to Riyadh for a physical exam to seal the deal.
Oshoala, 30, scored Bay FC’s first-ever goal last March in the team’s inaugural match, a 1-0 win at Angel City. She added six more regular-season goals last season to lead the team, then scored the first playoff goal in franchise history last November in a loss to Washington. She started 23 of the club’s 25 NWSL matches in 2024 and played more than 1,800 minutes for Bay FC.
“Asisat has been an incredibly important part of Bay FC history, not only with her impact on the pitch but also through the energy, professionalism, and kindness she brought every day,” Bay FC sporting director Matt Potter said in a statement. “She is a world-class player and an even better person, and we are grateful for everything she contributed to our club in its first season. We wish her nothing but success as she takes this next step in her career with Al-Hilal.”
Oshoala’s role with Bay FC changed this season as she started just five of the team’s 18 league matches so far in 2025, appearing as a sub in 12 more matches for a total of just 458 minutes. She also won her fourth Women’s African Cup of Nations with her native Nigeria in July while the NWSL season was on hiatus.
Coach Albertin Montoya pointed to defensive responsibilities when he was asked early this season about the decrease in Oshoala’s playing time.
The two-time Ballon d’Or finalist arrived at Bay FC from Barcelona last Feburary about a month ahead of the team’s first-ever game. She had previously played for Liverpool and Arsenal in England, as well as Robo and Rivers Angels in Nigeria and Dalian Quanjian in China.
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Oshoala’s signing — paired with the arrival of Racheal Kundananji from Madrid — legitimized Bay FC as a club seeking to make a splash as it entered the NWSL as an expansion team. Now Kundananji is left to try to turn around the team’s season.
Bay has struggled of late, with or without Oshoala, and will need a late-season surge over the next two months to reach the playoffs. The club has lost three matches in a row and has not won in nearly three months, drawing two and losing five in its last seven matches.
The Saudi season begins a week from Friday as Al Hilal hosts Al Qadisiyah.
