Mukarama Abdulai scored twice as Ghana defeated Mauritius 7-0 on Tuesday, October 13, 1026, completing a 10-0 aggregate victory in their Olympic qualifying tie and offering a reminder of the talent that once made her one of African football’s brightest prospects.
The forward had been recalled by Black Queens coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren after another extended absence from the national side. She made her opportunity count in the second leg at Essipong Stadium, helping Ghana progress with a commanding performance.
For Mukarama, however, the goals represented more than a comfortable victory. They marked another step in a career shaped by early acclaim, serious injury and repeated attempts to rebuild her place in the senior team.
From teenage star to Black Queens debut
Mukarama first attracted global attention at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay. As captain of the Black Maidens, she finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with seven goals and was awarded the Bronze Ball as its third-best player.
Her displays fuelled expectations that she would soon become a major figure for Ghana’s senior team. That chance came in May 2019, when she made her Black Queens debut against Senegal in the WAFU Zone B Women’s Cup.
She scored on her first appearance, helping Ghana secure a 2-0 win. Yet establishing herself at senior level proved more complicated than her spectacular progress with the youth side had suggested.
Injuries interrupt progress
A knee injury kept Mukarama out of football for almost two years, interrupting her development at a crucial stage of her career.
She moved to Spain in 2021 to join Deportivo Alaves, but injuries restricted her opportunities there as well. In January 2023, she and the club mutually agreed to terminate her contract.
Returning to Ghana gave the forward the chance to regain her fitness and form. With Hasaacas Ladies, she rediscovered her scoring touch and ended the 2023/24 Women’s Premier League season with 11 goals.
She also played a decisive part in the Black Princesses’ success at the 2023 African Games, scoring the winning goal in Ghana’s 2-1 final victory over Nigeria.
Those performances led to her return to the Black Queens in 2024, although she still had to fight to re-establish herself in the senior setup. Mukarama later told reporters that coming back after such a difficult period had required significant effort.
At 24, she is no longer the fearless teenager who dominated in Uruguay. Her latest goals against Mauritius showed that the finishing ability which first brought her recognition remains intact.
The immediate task is to stay fit, sustain her form and turn this return into a regular run with the Black Queens. Her brace was an important step, but the greater challenge is ensuring it becomes the beginning of a lasting new chapter rather than another brief moment in a career interrupted by setbacks.
