Black Queens hit Mauritius for seven to reach Olympic qualifying third round
The Black Queens left no doubt. Kim Lars Björkegren's side thrashed Mauritius 7-0 in the second leg of their 2028 Olympic Games qualifier at the Essipong Stadium in Sekondi on Tuesday, completing a 10-0 aggregate victory and booking a place in the third round of African qualifying.
Three before the break
Holding a 3-0 lead from the first leg, Ghana could have eased off. Instead, Björkegren fielded a strong line-up and his side went for the throat. Evelyn Badu opened the scoring in the ninth minute, and captain Portia Boakye and Zakaria Ajegepina added further goals to make it 3-0 at half-time, according to 3News and GBC.
Four more after it
The second half brought more of the same. Benedicte Simon, who scored a long-range stunner in the first leg, added the fourth in the 73rd minute. Jennifer Cudjoe converted a penalty late on, and Nancy Amoh then got on the scoresheet.
The final word belonged to Mukarama Abdulai. The former Black Maidens captain, back in the squad after around two years out with injury, scored in stoppage time to complete the rout and mark her comeback in style.
A perfect tie
Ghana did not concede across the two legs, and the ten-goal margin is a strong statement of intent from a squad that included several new faces this window. Margaret Agyapomaa and Diana Amoako made their first senior starts in Mauritius, while Rabiatu Maltiti and Agyapomaa earned their first call-ups for this round.
What comes next
According to GBC, the Black Queens will face either Uganda or Zambia in the third round in February 2027. MyJoyOnline has since reported that Zambia will be the opponent.
The stakes are historic. Ghana's women have never qualified for the Olympic football tournament since it was introduced in 1996. On this evidence, the Black Queens believe they can change that, and the Ghana Olympic Committee has already begun working with the GFA on a plan to support the push.
A welcome lift
The result offers some much-needed good news for Ghanaian football. With the Black Stars bottom of their AFCON qualifying group and searching for a new coach, the women's team has delivered two emphatic wins and a clear path forward.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons