Some people are born to be superstars. They carry with them an aura of grace and with it comes a responsibility to deliver; to deliver at the grand stages of global football. They make the delivery look easy and simple. As if the universe assigned excellence to them at birth.
Among those superstars is Evelyn Badu. Born in Seikwa, a small town in Tain District found in the Bono region of Ghana, Badu has risen into a renowned footballer globally thanks to football.
“I was born to play football. Right from when I was a child, I found myself playing with boys and just enjoying the game. I felt it right from the very beginning,” Badu explains.
From Seikwa to Hasaacas Ladies…
After dominating the streets of Seikwa, Badu needed a new challenge. Moving to Hasaacas Ladies was the move she chose and never looked back. She attributes her growth to former Ghana captain Samira Suleman.
“Samira took me into her home and mentored me. She changed my life. I had to leave my hometown and come to the city [Sekondi-Takoradi] so that I can learn more about football,” Badu reminisces.
At 16, Badu was named to the Ghana Black Princesses roster to the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in France but she did not play. That experience would later define her rise as a player.
Badu continued building her craft until she became a mainstay within the core squad. And in 2021, she inspired the team to their first league title since 2015. This ensured that they qualified for the CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU Zone B Qualifiers.
Hasaacas Ladies won the regional title and thus booked a slot to the first ever CAF Women’s Champions League in the same year where her five-goal tally guided the team to the final. They went on to lose 2-0 to South African side Mamelodi Sundowns. This was her introduction to African Football and she has never looked back.
Suleman, who played for Ghana at the WAFCON 2014, was a senior player at Hasaacas Ladies and knew what Badu could bring to her side and she was not wrong.
She explains, “I saw a young, passionate player with all the attributes of becoming a great footballer. She was technically, tactically and physically gifted, but I felt she needed to develop the mental side of the game. I believed that with the right mentoring and guidance, she could go very far.”
When asked about the importance of having female mentors, Suleman says, “It is extremely important. Female players need mentors who understand their journey, challenges and experiences. Having former female players and coaches in mentoring roles gives young players someone they can relate to, learn from and look up to. It also helps them develop beyond the pitch and prepares them for long-term careers in football.
Suleman is currently the Technical Adviser at Hasaacas Ladies and holds a UEFA License A Coaching Certificate after a glorious career playing in the United States and Iceland.
Africa to the World!
Badu’s achievements with Hasaacas Ladies earned her the inagural CAF Young Player of the Year and Inter Club Player of the Year Awards in 2022 at the age of 18. This recognition was a testament that hard work, consistency and discipline can take her very far.
She carried this form into her debut WAFCON last year scoring her first goal at the continental showpiece against Tanzania in a 4-1 victory; their first three points in the competition to secure qualification to the quarterfinals.
Following a goalless draw after extra time against a stubborn Algeria side, Badu’s penalty as the fourth conversion ensured a 4-2 win for the Black Queens to bag a place in the semifinals. The Black Queens went on to win bronze but this year, they want more.
“Although there is pressure, it is also good for us. We won the medal last year but we know that there is more for us. We want to reach the final. Apart from reaching the semifinals, we also want to qualify for the World Cup. You know, I have been thinking, the last time Ghana went to the World Cup, I was just four years old. I’m like, no! Now, we have the chance to take Ghana to the World Cup again. And we can do that against Malawi,” Badu explains further.
Lessons from the past
For what is life without reflection? Badu is quick to point out that the WAFCON 2026 has not only taught the Black Queens that tournament football can be cruel but it has always taught them to be mentally strong and to have the super power that is – to never stop believing.
Their 2-0 win over Cabo Verde saw them climb to cloud nine but when Cameroon edged them 1-0 and outplayed them in every aspect, the result broought them back to earth. They had to regroup before sealing their qualification to the knockout stages with a 1-1 draw against Mali.
“In the game against Cameroon, we didn’t really show up in the first half but in the second half, we came back strong. We shall take that to the game against Malawi. We have to start strong. We cannot afford to waste 45 minutes and then go into the second half chasing the game. We have to come out of the first half strong, fighting together as a team,” Badu points out.
According to her coach Kim Lars Björkegren, Badu brings pace, game intelligence and the aura you need from an attacker in front of goal. A natural goal finisher, she is.
The Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu influence
In her corner too is former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu. The 35-year old, who featured at five Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), has been key to his namesake’s success.
“He is my uncle! It is great to have him in my life because it means that there is a small chance for me to also make it far in my life. He is from Seikwa, I am also from Seikwa. If he was able to make it then it means that even I can make it. We speak before games, every time, after games. He explains to me something like; you should have done this, stood here, like that. You can do this. Even when things do not go well, he is there to guide me and keep on supporting me. I know he was happy when I scored the goal [against Mali],” she says passionately.
For Evelyn, this is the circle of people she will forever be grateful to for their continued commitment to seeing her grow. And now with the World Cup at stake, who better to ask than the man who scored the winning penalty that ensured Ghana became the first ever African nation to win the FIFA U20 World Cup in 2009?
Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu did that and that could explain Evelyn’s efficiency from the spot.
Looking ahead, Evelyn is eyeing a Ghana slot in the semifinals of the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 as well as qualification to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil. It would be a historic achievement for this generation of Black Queens.
CAFonline