Olufolasade Adamolekun facts for kids

Olufolasade "Sade" Adamolekun, born on February 21, 2001, is a professional soccer player. She plays as a forward or midfielder for Heart of Midlothian. Even though she was born in the United States, she plays for the Jamaica national team. Before joining Heart of Midlothian, she played college soccer for the USC Trojans.

Quick facts for kids
Olufolasade Adamolekun

Personal information
Full name	Olufolasade Ayomide Danielle Adamolekun
Date of birth	(2001-02-21) 21 February 2001 (age 24)
Place of birth	Austin, Texas, United States
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Forward, midfielder
Team information
Current team	Heart of Midlothian
Number	16
Youth career
	Lonestar SC
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2019–2022	USC Trojans	18	(0)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2023–	Heart of Midlothian	62	(21)
International career‡
2014	United States U14
2017	Jamaica U17	3	(4)
2018	Jamaica U20	6	(3)
2019–	Jamaica	19	(1)
Medal record Representing  Jamaica CONCACAF W Championship Third 2022 Mexico
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:45, 12 August 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16:50, 13 August 2022 (UTC)

Early Life and High School Soccer

Sade was born in Austin, Texas. Her father, Lanre Adamolekun, is from Nigeria, and her mother, Michelle Adamolekun, is from Jamaica. She grew up with her older brother, Nathaniel.

When she was a freshman at Lake Travis High School in Texas in 2016, she won the UIL Girls Soccer All-District Award. In 2017, as a sophomore at Fleming Island High School, she scored 22 goals and was named to the All-First Coast 1st Team. She also received the United Soccer Coaches Youth Girls All-South Region Award in both 2017 and 2018. In 2018, she was chosen for the US Development Academy's U16/U17 East Conference Best XI team.

College Soccer at USC

In August 2019, Sade started playing college soccer for the University of Southern California. Even though she often had to miss games because she was called to play for the Jamaica national team, she was still chosen for the "All Freshman Team" in the PAC-12 Conference for the 2019 season.

Club Career

Santa Clarita Blue Heat FC

In 2021, Sade was part of the Santa Clarita Blue Heat team that won the United Women's Soccer National Championship. She scored one goal and helped with another in their 5–0 win against Connecticut Fusion FC.

Playing for Hearts

In August 2023, Sade joined Heart of Midlothian, a team in the Scottish Women's Premier League. She signed a one-year contract with an option to extend it. In 2024, she signed a new contract to stay with the club for two more years.

International Career

Sade has played for both the United States and Jamaica at different age levels.

Youth National Teams

• United States
  • In March 2014, when she was 13, Sade attended a special training camp for the United States U14 team. She was then called to play for the U-14 US National Team in June, August, and October 2014.
  • In April 2014, she also attended U-15 US National Team camps.
  • At 14, she went to a U-17 US Women's National Team camp in June 2014.
  • She continued to attend U15 US National Team camps in 2015.
  • In October 2018, Sade was called to the U-18 U.S. Women's National Team camp.

• Jamaica
  • In October 2017, Sade accepted an invitation to play for the Jamaica U-17 team in the 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship qualification. She was the top goal scorer in the tournament, scoring 4 goals in 3 games.
  • At 16, Sade was named to the Jamaica U-20 team for the 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship qualification. She scored the only goal in Jamaica's 1–0 win against the Dominican Republic. Jamaica finished first in the qualifying round, earning a spot in the 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship. Sade scored two goals in three matches during qualification.
  • In the 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, Sade scored a goal in Jamaica's 2–2 tie against Nicaragua.

Senior National Team: Jamaica

• Early Appearances
  • On October 28, 2018, when she was 17, Sade played for the senior Jamaica women's national football team. She scored two goals in a friendly match against Nottingham Forest Ladies, which Jamaica won 3–0. These goals were not counted as official international goals because the match was against a club team, not another national team.
  • After the Jamaica team made history by qualifying for the FIFA Women's World Cup, Sade was called to their training camp in January 2019.
  • She made her official senior international debut as a substitute in a 1–0 friendly win against Chile on February 28, 2019. She also played as a substitute in another friendly against Chile on March 3, 2019, which Jamaica won 3–2.
  • In April 2019, she played as a substitute in Jamaica's 1–1 tie against South Africa.
  • In May 2019, she started a friendly match against Panama and helped with one assist in Jamaica's 3–1 win.

• 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
  • At 18 years old, before she even graduated high school, Sade was chosen as one of the 23 players for the Jamaica women's national football team at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup squads.
  • On May 24, 2019, Sade scored a goal in Jamaica's 2–1 friendly win against club team FC Surge. This goal was not counted as an official international goal.
  • Sade was one of the youngest players on the Jamaica team that made history as the first Caribbean team to play in a FIFA Women's World Cup. She was recognized as one of the top 10 teenagers to watch at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. She made her World Cup debut on June 14, 2019, starting for Jamaica against Italy.

• Other Tournaments
  • 2019 Pan American Games: Sade was one of 18 players chosen for the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. She started a game against Peru on August 6, 2019, and helped with an assist in Jamaica's 1–0 win.
  • 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship: She was selected for this tournament in Texas. She started games against Mexico and St. Kitts & Nevis, and had one assist in Jamaica's 7–0 win against St. Kitts & Nevis on February 4, 2020.
  • 2021 WNT Summer Series: Sade was part of the Jamaica team for this tournament in Houston, Texas, playing in games against Costa Rica and the USA.
  • 2022 CONCACAF W Championship Qualifications: She played in tournament games against Grenada, Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands. She had an assist in Jamaica's 9–0 win over the Cayman Islands.
  • 2022 CONCACAF W Championship: Sade was part of the Jamaica team that won their second straight CONCACAF W Championships Bronze Medal. This achievement also helped them qualify for their second consecutive 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played in tournament games against Canada and Haiti.
  • 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games: Sade was chosen for this tournament in El Salvador. She played in all three Group B games against El Salvador, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. She scored a goal in the game against Mexico.

Career Statistics

International Goals

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	3 July 2023	Estadio Las Delicias, Saint Tecla, El Salvador	Mexico	2–4	3–7	CAC games group stage

Personal Life

Sade was born in the United States. Her father is Nigerian, and her mother is Jamaican. Her brother, Nathaniel Adamolekun, is also a soccer player. She went to Lake Travis High School in Texas for her freshman year, then moved to Florida and graduated from Fleming Island High School.

Other Work

Leadership

In 2020, Sade helped start the United Black Student Athletes Association (UBSAA) at the University of Southern California (USC). She worked with the USC Administration to create this group. Its goal was to encourage student-athletes to use their influence to make a positive difference at the university and in their communities.