Ghana’s Black Queens headed into the halftime break with a slender 1-0 advantage over Mali after Evelyn Badu struck deep into first-half stoppage time in their ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) encounter.
The Black Queens battled through a closely contested opening 45 minutes, with both sides searching for the breakthrough but finding it difficult to create clear-cut opportunities.
Just when it appeared the first half would end goalless, Ghana found the decisive moment. In the fourth minute of added time, Evelyn Badu met a superbly whipped cross from Kusi and calmly finished to give the Black Queens the lead, sparking celebrations among the Ghanaian bench.
Badu’s late strike ensured Ghana went into the interval with the momentum and a crucial one-goal advantage as they looked to build on their strong finish in the second half against a determined Malian side.