Asisat Oshoala produced a clinical display in front of goal as Al Hilal secured a convincing 5-1 victory over Al Qadsiah to book their place in the Saudi Women’s Cup final.
The Nigerian forward scored a hat-trick in the semi-final second leg as Al Hilal completed a dominant 7-2 aggregate triumph over their opponents.
Having already taken a 2-1 advantage from the first leg, Al Hilal entered the return fixture in a strong position and quickly tightened their grip on the tie through Oshoala’s attacking influence.
The former African Women’s Player of the Year struck twice during the opening half to put Al Hilal firmly in control before completing her hat-trick in the 73rd minute.
Her latest goals continue an impressive campaign for the striker, who has now recorded 23 goals and six assists in all competitions this season.
Al Hilal’s emphatic victory means they will now advance to the final of the Saudi Women’s Cup, where they will face either Al Ula or Al Nasr.
The prospect of a meeting with Al Nasr could see Oshoala come up against fellow Nigeria international Ashleigh Plumptre, who currently plays for the club.
Oshoala has been one of Al Hilal’s standout performers throughout the season and once again demonstrated her importance during the decisive semi-final encounter.
Her early goals helped remove any uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the tie, while her third goal after the break completed an accomplished individual performance and ensured Al Hilal progressed in commanding fashion.
The Saudi Women’s Cup campaign has added further momentum to an already productive season for the Nigerian striker, whose contributions in front of goal have played a major role in Al Hilal’s success across competitions.
Al Hilal’s progression to the final also underlines the club’s strong form during the current campaign as they continue their pursuit of silverware.
Attention will now turn to the other semi-final involving Al Ula and Al Nasr to determine who will compete against Al Hilal in the final.
Should Al Nasr progress, the final would feature two Nigerian internationals on opposing sides, with Oshoala potentially facing defender Ashleigh Plumptre in a high-profile contest.
For now, however, the focus remains on Oshoala’s latest display, with the striker once again proving decisive as Al Hilal moved one step closer to lifting the Saudi Women’s Cup trophy.
