Mukarama Abdulai marked her return to Ghana’s senior women’s team with two goals as the Black Queens beat Mauritius 7-0 to reach the next stage of the October 2026 Olympic qualifiers.
The victory at Essipong Stadium on Tuesday, October 13, completed a 10-0 aggregate success for Ghana and gave Abdulai a significant moment after another lengthy absence from the national side.
Recalled by coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren, the forward made an immediate impact in the second leg. Her brace helped underline Ghana’s dominance, while also recalling the promise that once made her one of the country’s most exciting young players.
Abdulai first attracted worldwide attention at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay. As captain of the Black Maidens, she scored seven goals to finish as the tournament’s leading scorer and won the Bronze Ball as its third-best player.
Her performances created widespread excitement in Ghana and prompted calls for her to be given a chance with the senior team.
That opportunity came in May 2019, when she made her Black Queens debut against Senegal at the WAFU Zone B Women’s Cup. She scored on her first appearance as Ghana won 2-0.
However, the transition from youth football to the senior game was interrupted by a knee injury that kept her out for almost two years.
Abdulai moved to Spain in 2021 to join Deportivo Alaves, but injuries restricted her involvement there as well. She and the club later agreed to terminate her contract by mutual consent in January 2023.
Returning to Ghana provided the forward with the chance to rebuild her career. After joining Hasaacas Ladies, she recovered her scoring form and ended the 2023/24 Women’s Premier League season with 11 goals.
She also played a key role for the Black Princesses at the 2023 African Games, scoring the winning goal in Ghana’s 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the final.
Those displays led to her return to the Black Queens in 2024, although securing a regular place in the senior squad remained a challenge. Abdulai later told reporters that coming back after such a difficult period had required considerable effort.
Her latest performance against Mauritius offered further evidence of the finishing ability that first brought her to prominence in Uruguay. At 24, she is no longer the teenage star who led the scoring charts at a youth World Cup, but a player shaped by early success, serious injuries and the demands of rebuilding.
The next task for Abdulai is to remain fit and sustain her form so this return develops into a consistent spell with the Black Queens. Her two goals against Mauritius were an important step towards doing that.