{{Short description|Nigerian footballer (born 1995)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Use Nigerian English|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Halimatu Ayinde | image = | fullname = Halimatu Ibrahim Ayinde<ref name="FIFA 2015">{{cite news |url=https://www.fifadata.com/document/FWWC/2015/pdf/FWWC_2015_SquadLists.pdf |title=List of Players – 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup |work=Fédération Internationale de Football Association |access-date=20 June 2015}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|5|16|df=yes}}<ref name="FIFA 2015" /> | birth_place = Kaduna, Nigeria | height = {{height|m=1.65}}<ref name="FIFA 2015" /> | currentclub = BK Häcken | clubnumber = 28 | position = Midfielder | years1 = | clubs1 = Delta Queens | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 2015–2016 | clubs2 = Western New York Flash | caps2 = 9 | goals2 = 1 | years3 = 2016 | clubs3 = FC Minsk | caps3 = 5 | goals3 = 4 | years4 = 2018 | clubs4 = Asarums IF | caps4 = 22 | goals4 = 4 | years5 = 2019–2022 | clubs5 = Eskilstuna United | caps5 = 50 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2022–2025 | clubs6 = FC Rosengård | caps6 = 45 | goals6 = 1 | years7 = 2026– | clubs7 = BK Häcken | caps7 = 1 | goals7 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2010–2012 | nationalteam1 = Nigeria U17 | nationalcaps1 = 6 | nationalgoals1 = 4 | nationalyears2 = 2014 | nationalteam2 = Nigeria U20 | nationalcaps2 = 6 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | nationalyears3 = 2015– | nationalteam3 = Nigeria | nationalcaps3 = 33 | nationalgoals3 = 1 | pcupdate = 1 May 2026 | ntupdate = 3 March 2026 }}
'''Halimatu Ibrahim Ayinde {{Audio|LL-Q34311_(yor)-Mophefavour-Halimatu_Ayinde.wav|Listen|help=no}} OON''' (born 16 May 1995) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Damallsvenskan club BK Häcken and the Nigeria national team. She previously played for Western New York Flash in the United States, Delta Queens in Nigeria and Eskilstuna United in Sweden.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sport |first=S. V. T. |date=2022-08-25 |title=Fotboll: Halimatu Ayinde lämnar Eskilstuna – klar för Rosengård |url=https://www.svt.se/sport/fotboll/halimatu-ayinde-lamnar-eskilstuna-klar-for-rosengard |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=SVT Sport |language=sv}}</ref>
==Club career== Ayinde was signed by the American team Western New York Flash on 15 June 2015 from the Nigerian domestic team Delta Queens.<ref name=waived/> She made her debut with a start in the 1–0 loss against the Houston Dash; she was substituted in the 79th minute.<ref>{{cite web |title=Halimatu Ayinde Debuts for New York Flash |url=http://africanfootball.com/news/555100/Halimatu-Ayinde-debuts-for-New-York-Flash |publisher=African Football |access-date=11 November 2016 |date=28 July 2015 |archive-date=12 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112015500/http://africanfootball.com/news/555100/Halimatu-Ayinde-debuts-for-New-York-Flash |url-status=dead }}</ref> After spending a season with the team, during which time she made nine appearances, including five in the starting lineups, she was released on 12 May 2016.<ref name=waived>{{cite web |url=http://www.wnyflash.com/news/index.html?article_id=385 |title=WNY Flash Waive Halimatu Ayinde |publisher=Western New York Flash |date=12 May 2016 |access-date=11 November 2016 |archive-date=17 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170117111213/http://www.wnyflash.com/news/index.html?article_id=385 |url-status=dead }}</ref> She had admitted underperforming in her first season with the Flash, but felt that she had improved in the 2016 preseason, scoring against the A team put forward by the University of Vermont. At the time this affected her selection for the Nigeria women's national football team, with Ayinde not being selected for a match against Senegal.<ref>{{cite news |title=Super Falcons will crush Senegal, says Halimatu Ayinde |url=https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/super-falcons-crush-senegal-says-110400239.html |access-date=11 November 2016 |work=Yahoo! News |date=7 April 2016}}</ref>
She joined FC Minsk of the Belarusian Premier League later that year,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/womenschampionsleague/history/clubs/2603514--minsk/ |title=2016–17 ZFK Minsk squad |work=UEFA |access-date=15 October 2016}}</ref> making her debut in the 3–0 victory over Bobruichanka Bobruisk on 2 September. She was one of three Minsk players to score in the match, and went on to appear for the team in their UEFA Women's Champions League games.<ref>{{cite web |title=Halimatu Ayinde makes goalscoring debut in Minsk victory |url=http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/4110/nigerians-abroad/2016/09/04/27142412/halimatu-ayinde-makes-goal-scoring-debut-in-minsk-victory |publisher=Goal.com |access-date=11 November 2016 |date=4 September 2016}}</ref> Her form continued in her first few games, scoring the only goal in an away match against Nadezhda SDJuShOR-7 Mogilev on her third match for Minsk.<ref>{{cite web |title=Halimatu Ayinde's strike inspires Minsk away victory |url=http://www.goal.com/brasilglobaltour/en-ng/news/4065/africa/2016/09/25/27856402/halimatu-ayindes-strike-inspires-minsk-away-victory |publisher=Goal.com |access-date=11 November 2016 |date=25 September 2016}}</ref>
== International career == She was part of the Nigeria national team at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and the winning squad at the 2014 African Women's Championship.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Okeleji |first1=Oluwashina |title=Perpetua Nkwocha aims to end Nigeria career on a high |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/32913879 |access-date=11 November 2016 |work=BBC Sport |date=28 May 2015}}</ref>
On 16 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player Nigerian squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Ryan Dabbs |date=2023-06-14 |title=Nigeria Women's World Cup 2023 squad: most recent call ups |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/nigeria-women-world-cup-2023-squad-team-roster-players |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=fourfourtwo.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Honours == '''FC Rosengård''' * Damallsvenskan: 2021, 2022,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rosengård är svenska mästare. Detta sedan Linköping på måndagen spelat oavgjort. |url=https://www.expressen.se/sport/fotboll/damallsvenskan/rosengard-svenska-mastare-efter-linkopings-poangtapp/ |access-date=2022-10-24 |website=www.expressen.se |date=24 October 2022 |language=sv}}</ref> 2024<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.svenskfotboll.se/nyheter/serier/2024/10/fc-rosengard-svensk-mastare/ |work=svenskfotboll.se|publisher=Swedish Football Association|access-date=13 November 2024|title=FC Rosengård svenska mästare 2024|date=4 October 2024 |trans-title=FC Rosengård Swedish champions 2024|language=sv}}</ref> * Svenska Cupen: 2021–22
'''BK Häcken''' *UEFA Women's Europa Cup: 2025–26<ref name="UE26">{{cite news|url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/Rj1ddx/hacken-vann-europa-cup-efter-finalseger-mot-hammarby|title=Schröders hattrick fixade historisk titel|last1=Johansson|first1=Anton|last2=Lundgren|first2=Henrik|last3=Pinheiro Diamant|first3=Jonatan|date=2026-05-01|newspaper=Aftonbladet|language=sv|access-date=2026-05-01}}</ref>
; Nigeria * Women's Africa Cup of Nations: 2014, 2016, 2024<ref name="NGA2">{{cite web |title=Nigeria produce stunning comeback to beat Morocco and win 10th WAFCON title |url=https://www.cafonline.com/caf-womens-africa-cup-of-nations/news/nigeria-produce-stunning-comeback-to-beat-morocco-and-win-10th-wafcon-title/ |access-date=2 May 2026 |publisher=CAF}}</ref> * U-20 Women's World Cup: runners-up 2014 '''Orders''' * 60x60px Officer of the Order of the Niger
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{wikiquote}}
* {{FIFA player|326090}} * {{soccerway|halimatu-ayinde/150702}}
{{BK Häcken FF squad}} {{Navboxes | title = Nigeria squads | bg = #008751 | fg = white | list1 = {{Nigeria squad 2014 African Women's Championship}} {{Nigeria squad 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup}} {{Nigeria squad 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations}} {{Nigeria squad 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations}} {{Nigeria squad 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup}} {{Nigeria squad 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations}} {{Nigeria squad 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup}} {{Nigeria squad 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayinde, Halimatu}} Category:Nigeria women's international footballers Category:Women's association football midfielders Category:2015 FIFA Women's World Cup players Category:Nigerian women's footballers Category:21st-century Nigerian sportswomen Category:1995 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Kaduna Category:Western New York Flash players Category:National Women's Soccer League players Category:FC Minsk (women) players Category:2019 FIFA Women's World Cup players Category:Eskilstuna United DFF players Category:FC Rosengård players Category:BK Häcken FF players Category:Damallsvenskan players Category:Nigerian expatriate women's footballers Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Category:Expatriate women's soccer players in the United States Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Belarus Category:Expatriate women's footballers in Belarus Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in Sweden Category:Expatriate women's footballers in Sweden Category:Delta Queens F.C. players Category:2023 FIFA Women's World Cup players Category:2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations players Category:2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations players Category:2018 Women's Africa Cup of Nations players Category:2016 Women's Africa Cup of Nations players Category:2014 African Women's Championship players Category:Nigeria women's under-20 international footballers
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