Women’s World Cup 2015

     1 Asisat Oshoala, 20 Nigeria/Forward

 Last year in Canada Oshoala won the player of the tournament and top goalscorer accolades after shining for Nigeria in the world under-20 finals. Oshoala proved a big reason why the Africans reached the final, eventually losing narrowly to Germany. Now a forward, she began her international career in midfield with her Nigeria team-mates dubbing her “the female Seedorf”. Brought up in a Muslim household in Lagos, Oshoala – known as Superzee these days – shocked her parents by dropping out of school in order to pursue a career in professional football. Yet much as her family had hoped she would follow their example in carving successful careers in the gold and fashion industries, Superzee had caught the football bug while watching Liverpool men’s team on television in Lagos as a child.

2 Marta, 29 Brazil/Forward

 The biggest name at Canada 2015 Marta – aka “the female Pelé” – is the five-times winner of the Fifa women’s player of the year award. The most instantly recognizable face of the tournament, she currently plays in Sweden, for FC Rosengard. Currently tied on 14 goals with Germany’s now retired Birgit Prinz as the Women’s World Cup top scorer, Marta will expect to make the record her own at some point during the next month.

3 Vivianne Miedema, 18 Holland/Forward Miedema promises to help Holland play World Cup catch-up. They have lagged behind many neighbours in developing the women’s game but in Miedema – only 18 years old but already playing professionally for Bayern Munich – they have a forward variously dubbed “the most gifted in Europe” and “the Arjen Robben of the women’s game.” Miedema should be one to watch as the Oranje make their debut on the World Cup stage.

4 Homare Sawa, 36 Japan/Midfielder 

Japan are relieved that Homare Sawa, their key attacking midfielder and the woman voted player of the tournament as her country beat all-comers to lift the trophy at Germany 2011 has recovered from an injury-ravaged season to take her place in Norio Sasaki’s squad. Sawa is now 36 years old and this will be her sixth World Cup finals.