Former Ghana women’s national team goalkeeper Memunatu Sulemana, is facing a heartbreaking situation as she currently resides in a makeshift wooden kiosk in Kaneshie, a suburb of Accra, Ghana.
Memunatu Sulemana was a prominent figure in Ghana’s women’s football golden era, achieving success on the African continent and representing her country in World Cup tournaments.
She was a member of Ghana’s inaugural team to compete at the FIFA World Cup held in the United States in 1999, and she continued to participate in the 2003 and 2007 tournaments held in the United States and China, respectively.
During her career, Sulemana played alongside notable players such as Adjoa Bayor, Alerta Sackey, and Mercy Tagoe Quarcoo, among others.
She played for Post Ladies in Ghana and also played for Pelican Stars in Nigeria’s Women’s Premier League at the club level.
Despite her accomplished football career, Sulemana’s current living conditions are dire. She now resides in a makeshift structure composed partly of wood and an old advertising banner.
This arrangement offers minimal protection, especially during the rainy season.
While some of her contemporaries have transitioned into different professions after retiring from football, the 45-year-old Sulemana is grappling with severe poverty.
In an exclusive interview with Original TV, Sulemana candidly discussed her life’s challenges. Despite earning some income from her football career, a substantial portion of her earnings went towards caring for her grandmother, who battled diabetes and required medical attention.
Until recently, Memunatu Sulemana served as the goalkeeper’s trainer for the Ghanaian national youth team, the Black Maidens.