Nigeria trailed Morocco by two goals with half an hour to go in the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat and Deborah Abiodun was still competing. He started the final on July 26. He also finished every minute as the Super Falcons scored three times to win their 10th continental title. Fifteen months later, the midfielder they call Kante is recovering from surgery in America and his Washington Spirit salary has never been disclosed.
| Deborah Abiodun | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Full name | Deborah Ajibola Abiodun |
| was born | 2 November 2003, Ibadan, Oyo State |
| Position | midfielder |
| Club | Washington Spirit (NWSL), end-of-season injury list |
| Contract | Three years from January 2025, option for 2028 |
| Salary | Not disclosed; The 2026 NWSL minimum is $50,500 |
| Nigerian debut | September 3, 2022 vs. USA |
| Honorary | Winner of WAFCON 2024; OON (2025) |
Ibadan to Pittsburgh
Abiodun was born in Ibadan. She went through the Nasarawa State Academy of Sports before the Rivers Angels gave her a place in the Nigeria Women’s Premier League, where her performances earned her a full scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh, where the coach was Randy Waldrum, the same man who managed the Super Falcons at the time.
College went by fast. Two seasons, 34 games, 10 goals.
In 2023, the Panthers reached the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time, with Abiodun scoring in tournament wins over Ohio State and Memphis. The injury cost him six games in 2024. He still led the team with four ACC goals.
Melbourne and Rabat
His senior debut came in September 2022 in a 4–0 friendly defeat to the United States. Then came Melbourne. On 21 July 2023 against Canada, in his first senior World Cup match, he overshadowed the Olympic champions’ midfield in a 0–0 draw saved by Chiamaka Nnadozie’s Christine Sinclair penalty save. His elbows caught Ashley Lawrence above the ankle in stoppage time. VAR upgraded the yellow card to the first red card of the tournament.
The Kante comparisons started that night. They are stuck.
Paris 2024 was miserable: three starts, three Olympic defeats. The 2025 WAFCON in Morocco was kinder and he played all five games, starting three, including the final. President Bola Tinubu gave OON to all 24 players on July 28, 2025 and promised each of them the equivalent of $100,000 naira and a three-bedroom apartment. In August 2025, Rasheedat Ajibade said the cash had not arrived. We have not been able to confirm whether it has been paid since then.
2026 WAFCON made a mistake on day one when Malawi beat Nigeria 3-2. Abiodun was in the side that stabilized things against Zambia in a 1-0 win with ten men after Oluwatosin Demeh was sent off. “We had a goal going forward and we are happy to get the three points and make Nigerians proud as always,” he said. Egypt were then beaten 6–2, but Cameroon ended their title defense 1–0 in the quarter-finals on 9 August. South Africa then went on to win the World Cup play-off 2-1.
Dallas, Washington and injury
Washington signed a contract with him on January 6, 2025. “I am thrilled to take this next step in my career by joining the Washington Spirit,” the club said in a statement before he was loaned to USL Super League side Dallas Trinity FC with Tamara Bolt, where he played 13 games until being recalled on August 26, 2025.
Her NWSL debut came five days later in a 1–1 draw against Chicago Stars FC. By July 2026, the club had 20 appearances, one goal and one assist. This season brought nine games and 320 minutes. Then, in September, the Spirit placed him on the season-ending injured list and confirmed the surgery without naming the injury.
As such, he was not included in Augustin Equavoe’s 28-man roster for the Olympic qualifier against Comoros.
Deborah Abiod Salary: What’s Known
Not a number. Under the NWSL’s collective bargaining agreement, the league and its clubs cannot disclose a player’s salary to third parties without the written consent of the NWSL Players Association, and Spotrac’s page on Abiodun lists the length of his contract, but no numbers. Any exact salary floating around the internet is an estimate.
The framework is public. The league minimum is $50,500 for 2026, which is approximately ₦67.3 million at the official NFEM exchange rate of 16 October 2026 at $1,332.26. That rises to $65,000 in 2027, the last guaranteed year of his contract. Clubs operate under a base cap of $3.5 million. Only he club and union know where he sits between the floor and the stars, just like Asisat Oshoala’s NWSL salary.
Our vision
He turns 23 on November 2. The rehab is long and the contract short, making 2027 the biggest season of his club career so far, and the Falcons need a ball-winner who has already done it in the finals, whatever happens after Equavoe’s temporary spell. Oyo State has produced several; Our state of origin map shows the rest.
Get well soon, Kante.
This article was last revised and updated 11 seconds ago