July 7, 2025 — Nigeria’s Super Falcons forward, Rinsola Babajide, has revealed that her emotional goal celebration during Nigeria’s opening match at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) was a heartfelt tribute to late Liverpool star Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva.
The touching moment came after Babajide scored in Nigeria’s 3-0 victory over Tunisia on Sunday. She pointed skyward and formed a heart with her hands, a gesture she later explained was in honour of Jota, who tragically died in a car crash in Spain last week.
“That celebration was for Diogo and his brother,” Babajide told reporters after the match. “The news really shook me. He was not just a player I admired, but a person who inspired many of us in the football world. This was my way of saying goodbye and thank you.”
Babajide, who plays club football in England and is part of the new generation powering the Super Falcons, said the team was determined to win the tournament in memory of loved ones lost and for Nigerians back home.
The Super Falcons are Africa’s most successful women’s national team and are widely tipped as favourites in the ongoing tournament in Morocco.
