Manchester City and Jamaican female national team striker, Khadija Shaw is widely recognized as one of the most deadly strikers in female football, an incredible achievement for someone who was not even permitted to touch a ball while growing up.
Her parents did not fancy football as a career, no thanks to the lack of opportunities and ‘reputation’ that came with it back home in Jamaica.
According to the Man City stalwart, she would sneak out of the house to play at the park and quickly return before her parents got back from work.
An invite to Jamaica’s U15s team at the age of just 13 was the game changer for Shaw as she later went on to represent the U17s and U20s side.
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She did impress at that level so much so that her performances caught the attention of several scouts from the US who offered her scholarships at two different colleges, before she opted for the University of Tennessee where she juggled football and study to complete a communications degree.
However, Shaw’s younger years were marred by family tragedies, having lost two of her nephews and four brothers, three to gang-related violence and the other in a car accident.
However, the sheer ability to overcome such adversity helped shape her character and further her success in football when she went on to compete in leagues across America, France and England.
Now 26, Shaw has reached unbelievable heights having finished the 2022-23 season as Manchester City’s highest-scoring women’s player in a single campaign with 31 goals, while holding the record for Jamaica’s all-time leading scorer across the men’s and women’s game with 56.
On Wednesday, Shaw captained the Jamaican team to becoming only the first Caribbean nation in history to enter the knockout phase of the FIFA women’s world cup after battling to a goalless draw against South American Giants, Brazil who needed to win to scale through.
At the blast of the final whistle, Khadija fell to her knees and began crying, while players draped Jamaica flags across their shoulders and began dancing.
CREDIT: Sports Radio Brilla FM.
