Nigeria’s Rofiat Imuran is set to play top-flight English women’s football next season after helping London City Lionesses secure promotion to the Women’s Super League (WSL) for the first time in their history.
The Lionesses clinched the 2024/25 FA Women’s Championship title on Sunday with a dramatic 2-2 draw against second-place Birmingham City at St. Andrews — a result that ensured their automatic promotion to the WSL.
History-Making Lionesses
Needing just a point to confirm their rise to the top tier, London City raced into a two-goal lead early in the second half through a long-range stunner from Isobel Goodwin and a well-taken strike by Ghanaian forward Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah.
Birmingham mounted a spirited comeback, with goals from Australian international Emily van Egmond and South Korean star So-Hyun Cho, but the visitors held on to seal the Championship crown.
With the result, London City Lionesses also made history as the first fully independent women’s club to earn promotion to the WSL — having broken away from Millwall to establish their own identity in 2019.
They will replace fellow South London side Crystal Palace, who were relegated from the WSL on the final day.
Imuran’s Impact
Rofiat Imuran featured prominently in the Lionesses’ campaign, making 13 league appearances. She started Sunday’s decisive match and was substituted in the 90th minute for Cerys Brown.
The 20-year-old full-back joined London City earlier this season after being released by French club Stade de Reims, where she previously played alongside compatriot Oluwatosin Demehin, now with Galatasaray in Turkey.
A former Rivers Angels defender, Imuran’s move to London has now paid off with a ticket to elite-level football.
Nigeria’s Presence Grows in the WSL
Imuran will join fellow Nigerian international Toni Payne, who plays for Everton, in the WSL next season — further strengthening the Nigerian presence in one of the world’s most competitive women’s leagues.
The promotion also represents a remarkable turnaround for the Bromley-based club, who finished eighth in the 2023/24 season.
Under new ownership since December 2023 — led by the businesswoman who also owns Washington Spirit and Olympique Lyonnais Féminin — the Lionesses will now be aiming to stay up and avoid the fate of recent newcomers like Bristol City and Crystal Palace, who suffered immediate relegation.
