Nigeria's Nicole Payne follows Asisat Oshoala to US' NWSL

Super Falcons defender Nicole Payne has opened a new chapter in her career after swapping France for the United States of America. 

Pulse Sports Nigeria reports that Payne has joined the National Women’s Soccer League, NWSL, side Portland Thorns, following in the footsteps of compatriot and football icon Asisat Oshoala. 

The 23-year-old will spend the rest of the season in the NWSL with Thorns on loan from French giants, Paris Saint-Germain. PSG.

“We’ve acquired defender Nicole Payne, on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain of the Division 1 Féminine in France,” the club said in a statement.

Payne recently joined PSG but has struggled for game time since she made the move in July of 2023. 

The Super Falcons player has only managed two appearances for PSG, with her first on January 20, 2024, in the victory against Girondins de Bordeaux.

Joining Oshoala, who recently swapped Spain for the US after her transfer to Bay FC from Barcelona, is a testament to Payne's potential and the immense talent pool present within Nigerian women's football. 

The duo's presence in the NWSL could help to raise the profile of African football and inspire a new generation of players back home.

Speaking on the move, Thorns’ head coach, Mike Norris, is excited that his club has added a player who above everything else likes to defend. 

“Nicole is an exciting addition to our roster, she is a defender first and foremost,” Norris told the club. 

“But also has an incredible drive and desire to get forward and impact the game higher up the field. This coupled with her physical capabilities to do so, make her a very exciting asset for us,” he added. 

The American-born player made her debut with the Nigeria Women’s National Team in June of 2021, against Jamaica, a match that saw her and Toni Payne make history as the first sisters to play for the Super Falcons.

Nicole went on to be a part of the 2022 Women’s African Cup of Nations team, helping the Super Falcons to a fourth-place finish. Overall she has seven caps for Nigeria.

In terms of her club career, Payne has played collegiate football for the University of Southern California where she scored three goals in 16 matches. 

She also spent three years at West Virginia University, where she netted four goals and three assists in 53 matches while making two NCAA Tournament appearances.