Ghana’s U-20 women’s team, the Black Princesses, claimed their 11th gold medal at the African Games by staging a remarkable comeback to defeat Nigeria in a thrilling final at Cape Coast Stadium.
The game, which took place on Thursday night, saw the Ghanaians fall behind early when goalkeeper Afi Amenyeku’s error allowed Nigeria’s Edeh Njideka to score in the 23rd minute.
However, the Black Princesses fought back valiantly and dominated the rest of the first half, creating several scoring opportunities but failing to convert. The breakthrough finally came in the 77th minute when Tracy Twum equalized with a powerful shot from the left flank.
With neither team able to find a winner in regulation time, the game went into extra time. In the 99th minute, Mukarama Abdulai scored the decisive goal with a well-placed shot into the bottom corner, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Despite late pressure from Nigeria, the Black Princesses held on for a historic victory. This is Ghana’s second gold medal in women’s football at the African Games, with their first coming in the 2015 edition, also under the guidance of coach Yussif Basigi.