Built from the ground up: Nigeria’s captain Rasheedat Ajibade on conviction, craft and leading with purpose

It doesn’t take too much searching to spot Nigerian footballer Rasheedat Ajibade on a pitch. Aside from her signature electric blue hair, the Atletico Madrid forward has an unmissable presence that’s earned her a status as one of the most daunting threats in front of goal within women’s football. Spearheading the Nigerian women’s team at this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), her approach reflects a broader philosophy: control what you can, and lead from the ground up.

A large part of this ethos is preparation and rituals. For Captain Falcon (as many call her), these span multiple registers – spiritual, physical and visual, each diligently structured yet deeply personal. From handwritten bible verses to prayer and the repetition of care routines, everything functions within a broader system of discipline. Her look, too, is part of this routine; not performance for others, but a mode of self-recognition. 

Joining from Casablanca just days before the opening matches of the tournament, Rasheedat sits down with Nigerian multidisciplinary artist Joy Matashi over Zoom. Trained in architecture, Matashi brings a precise, spatial logic to her practice, approaching hair as “small architecture,” where the head becomes a foundation and hair a sculptural material. Her work blends urban geometry with personal memory, exploring how repetition, structure, and form not only shape identity but also act as living archives. 

Coming together, Rasheedat and Joy explore what it means to show up fully and with purpose in spaces that weren’t always built for you. What unfolds is a conversation rooted in African excellence: in football, in art, in craft, and in care. 

Joy: What does strength look like to you? Is it a person, a memory or an image?

Rasheedat: For me, strength is being a woman; it’s powerful. If you look at what being a woman entails, our experiences, the challenges we have to go through, that is strength on its own. 

Joy:After watching your documentary, I started calling you ‘Captain Falcon’. But your story of becoming captain started long before you hit the pitch, just by the way you talk, how your mum raised you, and everything you gave up so you could do what you’re doing now. There’s something you said in the film that really struck me: “Whoever owns the ball, controls the game.” So, linking that back to the idea of strength, how have you learned to command the space you’re in, both on the field and in your culture?

Rasheedat: First, being a Nigerian, it gives you that platform and prepares you for that kind of mindset and mentality. But for me, that also comes from my mother; she’s been my biggest inspiration for all of my life. 

If you listen to that interview in the film again, you will hear everything that I said about my mom. I lost my dad when I was very young, so I was raised by my mom alone. It was a difficult time for our family, but my mum always made me believe that you have to build the life you want for yourself. That idea was at the heart of everything she did. She taught me that if the people around you aren’t doing what they should, you don’t limit yourself to those people. 

You have to be at the forefront of everything and create the life that you want for yourself.  That’s how I approach football. Playing in a male-dominated environment, I knew I had to create a space for myself, one that would allow me to grow and become the best player I could be. I created that for myself using the lessons I learned from my mum, and I’m grateful for it. It’s shaped the woman I am today, and the one I’m still becoming.

Joy: I want to talk about your faith because you’re bold and unapologetic in your beliefs, and you call the pitch a safe space. In what ways has your faith helped you find grounding and protection on the pitch? 

Rasheedat:  Yeah, as you know, I’m very unapologetic about my faith. It gives me the peace and confidence to thrive on that pitch, because that’s the core of my life, the essence of my existence, which I can never trade for anything. I know what I’ve got. I know how inspired I am and how much strength I have when I rely on God and Christ every day. It gives me the energy to run through my day without looking back. In everything I do, I’m thinking of God.

Joy: Is there a verse that you turn to as part of a pre-game ritual? Is there something you and your team do to prepare mentally? 

Rasheedat: As a team, we pray every day, like in the morning when we have breakfast. If we ever miss it, then we make sure to pray again at night after dinner. Nigeria is a faith-based country, and on our team, we have people from two different religions, so we make sure to respect each other’s beliefs.

Personally, I read a lot of Bible verses. I love the Word of God so much that it’s become the compass for my life. It’s how I find direction every day. I keep a kind of journal with verses I’ve saved, scriptures that speak to me and remind me to stay grounded in faith. So I don’t really have one specific verse that I always read; it depends on the day.

Two of my favourite Bible verses are Proverbs 3:5 and Joshua 1:8. I’ve got them written on things I use as reminders to trust in God, no matter my ability or strength.

Joy: There are so many forms of preparation: your athleticism, which is on another level; your spiritual discipline, which clearly grounds you. But just to shift gears a little,  let’s talk self-care. Is there anything you do for yourself, beauty-wise or mentally, before a game? Any rituals that help you feel your best? And, of course, we have to ask: you’re known for your blue hair! How’d you keep it so bold and bright? 

Rasheedat: Okay, so I don’t want to name-drop, but I have my own brand that I use and stick with. What I usually do is touch up the colour every two to three weeks – because it’s semi-permanent, it fades a bit, especially after I shower a lot or put water on my hair, which I have to do regularly.

So when the colour starts to wash out, maybe after two or three weeks, I just go blonde again, and then reapply the blue. That’s how I keep it bright, shiny, glowing. You know, blue and bold, like always.

Joy: Is there a symbolism with the blue? Is there a specific reason why you chose it? 

Rasheedat: Blue is one of my favourite colours, and it’s just basically trying to be the brand and trying to stand out, you know? And, yeah, it just works. 

Joy: I guess it plays into creating an individual expression on a team, where you guys all have the same kits, but we can spot you.  

We know you’re a WAFCON right now, and I feel this year feels especially charged. You know, more eyes, more pressure, maybe even more pride. You guys performed so well at the last one. What does it mean to represent Nigeria at this moment in time?

Rasheedat: Honestly, representing Nigeria at this WAFCON means everything to me.  It’s a huge honour, and it’s a massive responsibility. There’s so much pride, not just for myself, but for all Nigerian women out there. We know there are a lot of eyes on us, and a lot of pressure, but that just motivates me to work more, work harder and make my country proud. We know we’re not just playing for ourselves, we’re playing for the nation, we’re playing for every young girl out there who has a dream. 

Dazed MENA: Is there something about or something from Nigerian culture, whether it’s a phrase, gesture, a belief that shaped how you approach football or art and your craft? 

Rasheedat: I mean, we’ve got alot of beliefs and different mindsets that push us every day to like, rush and show up. But beyond that belief, beyond that mindset, it’s really about me. Myself. The team, yes, always the team first, but then it’s also about me. 

You just have to show up. This is my job. This is what I love to do. Beyond the nation, what people believe, beyond their expectations or opinions, none of that can define who I am on the pitch. What matters is: how do I want to carry myself? How do I want to be perceived?

Dazed MENA: How about you, Joy?

Joy: Yeah, off the back of what Rasheedat was saying, Nigeria is such a melting pot. There are so many cultures, so many languages, and then you’ve faith layered into that, as well as gender. My parents grew up in the North, we’re northerners, but more specifically, Kaduna and Borno. And the feeling there is completely different from, say, Lagos, which feels a bit more buzzy. Maybe that’s due to the climate or whatever, but amongst that, there are so many unique cultural pockets.

As much as we’re all “Nigerian,” no Nigerian is the same. A lot of the time, we get put into this big pot, like, “you’re Nigerian, so you’re all the same.” I mean, yeah, most of us are resilient in that broader sense. But there’s so much individuality. That’s why I sometimes find it hard to answer questions like this,  because there’s no one answer. And then you’ve got the diaspora added into it. Nigerians who grew up abroad and return to live and work here. They become part of the landscape too, and that adds another layer.

Personally, in my practice, I always think back to this market in Abuja. There’s a group of braiding women who gather there every week, they pray, they gist, they form a community. It’s like a ritual, but also a business. They’re entrepreneurs and artists, even if they’re not always seen that way.  There’s no one quote or saying I can point to, but there are always certain people who shape your work, mothers, daughters, sisters. These women have deeply influenced the way I look at hair, at culture, at craftsmanship. 

You can’t go anywhere on the continent,  especially in Nigeria and not be inspired. You can’t go to a state like Kano, Kaduna, Benin, anywhere, and not find something deeply individual that shapes how people live and create. You just can’t.

Rasheedat: The thing about being Nigerian is that we carry our skills and creativity with us, everywhere we go. We’re naturally talented, skilful, resilient, and that mental toughness, it’s something we’ve all developed just by growing up here.

I think that’s what we bring to the field. It’s not something you force; it’s just in you. Wherever we find ourselves, that spirit shows up, and over time, it gets sharpened, polished, and refined through experience.

Joy: That’s why you, when you find us in any country, like we’re just doing things differently (laughs).  

Rasheedat: Yeah! 

Joy:  Every single country you go to, Nigerians are there, and they’re killing it. There’s this individual drive, this inner knowing, like, “If I don’t do this, who will?”

It’s a mindset. And somehow, there’s this healthy balance between survival and ambition. I don’t even know how to explain it properly; it’s just this drive that feels almost supernatural.

Like, on your team, Rasheedat, you have a doctor. A doctor. How many dual-career athletes do you know who are holding down a whole profession while still playing top-level football?

Rasheedat: Yes, Michelle Alozie 

Joy: So I don’t know any other team that’s doing that. 

Dazed MENA: How do you think WAFCON and platforms like this one, whether in football or, you know, are reshaping how African women are seen?

Rasheedat: Platforms like this and WAFCON, especially, are so important for how African women are seen because they put African football on a global stage. They showcase our talent, our passion, and they open us up to a wider audience. They also challenge outdated stereotypes like “women don’t play football,” or even if they do, “African women’s football isn’t professional”, or “doesn’t meet a certain standard.”

But tournaments like this have helped shine a positive light on African football and have positioned it in a much better place globally. They also highlight the incredible achievements we’ve had, both as teams and as individual players. If you look at the teams, you’ll see success stories across the board. And if you zoom in on individual players, you’ll find many who are making waves globally, players in the U.S., in England, and all over the world who still show up for the African Cup of Nations to represent their roots.

For me, it’s not just about sport; it’s about storytelling. It’s about how we tell the story of African women, of football in Africa, and how the world sees us. Platforms like this help us tell our stories in the best way, and they show the world the true power of God, our strength, and the beauty of our culture.

If you watch videos from AFCON or WAFCON, how people go into games, the way fans show up, the way teams cheer, the kind of excitement and celebration,  it’s unmatched. I’ve never seen that kind of energy anywhere else in global football. The love, the joy, the pride,  it’s extraordinary, it’s exceptional. It shows the world the excitement that’s in African football and what it really looks like. 

Joy: It’s all about exposure. People just need to be given a platform to show their work, and once you do, everyone will just kind of realise, you know. It comes by a lack of knowledge and lack of exposure, really. That’s why platforms like this are so important. They allow people to see the creative expression of African women, who are artists, who are sportsmen, who are footballers, so a younger generation can believe that they can do that. They don’t have to become a lawyer; they can do football, there are these avenues. And that visibility makes a huge difference. It tells the younger generation: you can do this too, there are avenues for you, there’s a space for you to grow.

Rasheedat: Yeah, I remember growing up, we didn’t really have any role models to point to and say, “This is the person I want to be like.” We didn’t hear much about AFCON, and definitely not about women’s football or women’s football success.

That’s why platforms like this are so important. They give visibility. They help parents see what’s possible, and that helps them encourage their children. They can now say, “Look at these women. They’re on the global stage. They’re thriving, not just in sport, but academically too. They’re doing great things across the board.” Because I think, for a lot of parents, the fear is: why should I let my daughter play football if it means sacrificing something else?

But when they see players like the one we talked about, who’s a doctor and a professional footballer, it changes the narrative. It shows that it’s achievable. You don’t have to give up one dream to chase another. You can do both.

Joy: 100% Yeah. 

Rasheedat: A platform like this gives young girls the opportunity to see that there’s so much more attached to the game. You can be whoever you want to be. You can be successful. You can make a positive impact in your community, and that’s very important.

Dazed MENA: If you had a few words of advice to give to young women today, what would they be?  

Joy: What I really want to say is: you have value. That’s it. You have value. You carry value. You have something to offer. 

Rasheedat: Okay, yeah. Believe in yourself. That’s one. But also: have a support system around you and let God be at the centre of everything you do.

Joy: Yes, keep God Central. Keep God central.