Mukarama Abdulai clinched victory for Ghana in the women’s football final at the 2023 African Games with a spectacular winning goal against Nigeria.
The striker’s sensational strike found the bottom corner of the net, igniting jubilation among the fans at the Cape Coast Stadium.
Her decisive goal, struck in the first half of extra time, secured the gold medal for Ghana and marked a significant upset as they dethroned Nigeria, who entered the match undefeated and without conceding a goal in three previous games, while netting eight themselves.
Nigeria initially took the lead in the 23rd minute through Edeh Njideka, capitalising on an error by Ghana goalkeeper Afi Amenyeku. Despite a few close calls, Ghana rallied after the break, displaying greater determination and purpose.
Their persistence paid off in the 77th minute when Tracey Twum levelled the score with a powerful shot. Ghana continued to press forward, narrowly missing an opportunity to clinch victory in regulation time.
In extra time, Mukarama Abdulai emerged as the hero for Ghana, netting the winning goal in the 98th minute to seal the victory and spark celebrations among the home crowd.
Ghana won gold 🏅 in women's football as Mukarama Abdulai scored this beautiful goal in extra time to secure a 2-1 win over Nigeria at the African Games.
🇬🇭 2:1 🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/VVEzhwwDhz
— Ibrahim Sannie Daara (@SannieDaara) March 21, 2024
The gold medal secured by the Black Princesses elevates Ghana’s total gold count to 11. Now, all eyes are on the U-20 men’s team, the Black Satellites, as they aim to replicate this success in their final showdown against Uganda on Friday night.