Oshoala steps up chase for fourth African Women's Player of the Year award with Barcelona goal

Asisat Oshoala was on target as Barcelona ended 2019 in style with a 3-1 thrashing of Tenerife in a Spanish Primera Iberdrola encounter on Saturday.

The Nigeria international has not found the net since netting a brace in her side's 4-0 win over Madrid on October 26 and aimed to finish her awe-impressive year on a high against Tenerife.

The hosts started brightly as the Super Falcons star opened the scoring just 17 minutes into the contest off a brilliant pass from Marta Torrejon at Estadi Johan Cruyff.

Luiz Cortes' team squandered their first-half lead as Aleksandra Zaremba assisted Cristina Martín-Prieto to level matters for the visitors 16 minutes after the restart.

In the final 15 minutes of the match, Caroline Hansen recovered the lead for the hosts in the 78th minute before Alexia Putellas fired home the third seven minutes from full-time to seal the victory.

The former Jiangsu Suning striker, who was in action for 75 minutes before being replaced by Aitana Bonmati, has now scored eight goals in 12 league appearances this season.

The victory means Barcelona finished 2019 as leaders of the Primera Iberdrola with 37 points from 13 games - five clear of second-placed defending champions Atletico Madrid.

Having wrapped up an incredible year in Spain, Oshoala is expected back in Nigeria for her Football 4 Girls Clinic in Lagos on Tuesday, which will attract A-list entertainers and footballers in Nigeria.

She scored Nigeria's winner against South Korea as the country broke a 20-year jinx to reach the Women's World Cup Round of 16, with one strike making the top 10 goals of the tournament.

In May, the 25-year-old made history as she became the first African to play and score in the Uefa Women's Champions League final, scoring Barcelona's consolation in a 4-1 loss against Lyon.

Having won three of their last five African accolades, the Nigeria international who has scored 15 goals in 19 league outings since joining the Spanish giants in January.

She is also scheduled to attend the 2019 Caf Awards Gala on January 7, 2020, in Egypt, where she will be hoping to clinch her fourth African Women's Player of the Year prize.