Lionesses can ‘prove anyone wrong’ about qualifying for Olympics, says Aluko

The former Lioness showed her support for the team after England’s 3-2 loss to Belgium.

Eniola Aluko (right) poses for a photograph with her mother Sileola after being made an MBE (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA Wire)

Britain should not abandon hope that England will be able to qualify so Team GB can play at the 2024 Olympics because “if any team is going to prove anyone wrong – it’s the Lionesses”, former player Eniola Aluko said.

The former Lioness was speaking a day after England’s 3-2 loss to Belgium, after she collected an MBE for her services to Association Football and to charity.

The Prince of Wales, who presented Aluko with her MBE at a ceremony at Windsor Castle, told her “this feels like this is overdue”.

Aluko later said of that moment: “It was lovely and a really really nice thing to say.”

Frankly, the women's game is really competitive. On any given day, Scotland can beat England and Holland can beat England – that is the sort of level of competition we are dealing with

Eniola Aluko

She is a broadcaster and football executive, one of the WSL’s all-time top goalscorers, and in 2014 she became the first female pundit on BBC’s Match of the Day. She has played at three World Cups, three European Championships and at the London 2012 Olympics.

The 36-year-old has long used her platform to inspire change on a global scale. Aluko has worked heavily with charities and organisations such as Charity Water, Common Goal and Unesco.

England are trying to qualify for the Olympics on behalf of Team GB, but last night’s loss was “disappointing and obviously an unfortunate result.”

Aluko added: “It is a tough group with the Netherlands, Belgium and Scotland. It is not an easy group at all.

“I think the Nations League is deliberately competitive.

“Really, England have got to win the last two games to have any chance of qualifying, but if any team is going to prove anyone wrong – it’s the Lionesses, and they have done so well in the last two years.”

Aluko said she is not doubtful that England, who made it to the World Cup final this summer, could pull through because they “have everything to win those last two games but they haven’t been as strong as we would like to see them.”

She said: “I think sometimes there can be a bit of a hangover from the World Cup where you have a massive high and then come back to normality.

“Sometimes it takes players a little bit to get going again. The season only just started again and we are only five games into the WSL.

“Fatigue is not just physical – it is mental as well. There are so many games and so many tournaments.

“Frankly, the women’s game is really competitive. On any given day, Scotland can beat England and Holland can beat England – that is the sort of level of competition we are dealing with.”

She began her career at Birmingham City before spells at Charlton Athletic and Chelsea.

Like a number of England internationals, a stint in the United States followed, just before the formation of the Barclays WSL, before she returned home in 2012 to play for Birmingham.

The most successful period in her career came between 2012-2018 when she moved to Chelsea for her second spell at the club.

During this time, she won two Barclays WSL titles (plus the WSL Spring Series in 2017), two Women’s FA Cups, and was awarded Chelsea’s Player of the Year in 2014/15.

(My mum) encouraged me to dream beyond limitation with my football. Everything that is recognised by this MBE, I owe to my mum, Sileola Aluko

Eniola Aluko

Her form also saw her selected on to the PFA Women’s Super League team of the year in 2015 and 2017.

After announcing her retirement from her playing career in January 2020, following a spell with Juventus, Aluko moved to the United States to become sporting director of Angel City FC.

She recalled that competing at the 2012 Olympics was “unique because typically football is not part of the Olympic experience.”

She said: “We were in the Olympic village and saw Anthony Joshua, Mo Farah, Dina Asher-Smith and all these other amazing people.

“They were all wearing the same kit as us and you felt you were part of a greater team than just the football bubble that we are used to having.

“It really opened my eyes to what it takes to get to the top of sport.

“You had athletes going to train at 6am, and we normally rock up at 11am and do our thing.”

She was proudly watched by her mother, Sileola Aluko, as she collected the MBE.

In an online tribute she described herself as “eternally grateful”, adding: “This MBE is dedicated to my amazing mother who came to the UK with me when she was just 22 years old, worked tirelessly for the NHS, and then built a successful healthcare business with service, care and charity at its core.

“My mum instilled aspiration, faith, hard work and the importance of giving.

“Best of all, she encouraged me to dream beyond limitation with my football. Everything that is recognised by this MBE, I owe to my mum Sileola Aluko.”