Edna Imade once again proved why both Nigeria and Spain are locked in a tug-of-war over her international future after firing Real Sociedad to a stunning 1-0 win over league leaders Barcelona on Sunday, Soccernet.ng reports.
That impressive Sociedad win ended the Catalan giants’ remarkable five-year scoring streak in Spain’s top flight.
Imade struck in the 37th minute from the penalty spot after a VAR review confirmed a handball by Laia Aleixandri.
Calm under pressure, the 25-year-old forward sent the Barcelona goalkeeper the wrong way to claim her seventh goal of the season and hand Real Sociedad their most remarkable win in years.
The defeat was not just a rare loss for Barcelona, it was also their first time failing to score in a league game since January 2020. Their dominance in possession, which reached as high as 91% in the opening stages, counted for little against an inspired Real Sociedad side anchored by Imade’s tireless running and defensive commitment.
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Barcelona’s dominance meets Sociedad’s resilience
Missing key players including Ewa Pajor, Salma Paralluelo, and Patri Guijarro, Barcelona’s attack lacked its usual precision.
Manager Pere Romeu shuffled his line-up, with Claudia Pina and Sydney Schertenleib alternating roles in a bid to unlock Sociedad’s compact shape. But the hosts stayed disciplined, repelling wave after wave of Barcelona pressure.
Imade, on loan from Bayern Munich, led from the front, not only scoring the decisive goal but also tracking back to help her defence. She even cleared a goal-bound header from Irene Paredes in the dying minutes. VAR later denied Barcelona a potential equaliser when Martine Fenger’s late strike was ruled out for offside, sealing a famous victory for the Basque side.
The result leaves the Women’s Liga F title race wide open. Barcelona remain top with 24 points, but both Real Madrid and Real Sociedad have now closed the gap to four, heightening the pressure on the reigning champions.
Nigeria or Spain: The international tug-of-war over Imade
Born in Morocco to Nigerian parents and raised in Spain, Imade is eligible to represent all three countries, but her international future remains unresolved.
Once committed to representing Nigeria, she was surprisingly left out of the Super Falcons squad that won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in July.
Spain appear to have stolen a march on Nigeria since then.
Spain’s head coach, Sonia Bermudez, recently confirmed she is monitoring Imade closely, saying,
“We’re in the process of getting her to join us; we just need to sort out some paperwork. She’s a player we want to be with Spain.”
Bureaucratic delays in finalising her Spanish citizenship have so far prevented an official call-up.
Nigeria, however, are not giving up. Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu revealed the federation has made multiple attempts to contact her.
“She had an excellent season with Granada and is doing well at Real Sociedad,” Madugu told ACL Sports.
“Despite our efforts, writing to her club and reaching out through players in Spain, she’s yet to make up her mind. We value her talent and would gladly give her the chance to represent her fatherland.”
The Nigeria Football Federation remains keen to avoid a repeat of the Vicky Lopez saga; another Spain-born star who once considered playing for Nigeria before ultimately committing to La Roja.