10 Amazing Facts You Don't Know About 2022 CAF Young player and Inter-Club Player of the Year - Evelyn Badu

Africa Sports Women Posted on 2022-07-31 06:56:35

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Meet Evelyn Badu, Ghana's U-20 captain who plays as a midfielder for Avaldsnes FC in The Toppserien, the top-level women's football league in Norway. The former Hasaacas Ladies player has been on a roll this past year, from being in the spotlight at the maiden CAF Women's Champions League in November 2021, where she won three individual honours, to grabbing two awards at the recent 2022 CAF Awards. At the young age of 19 years, Evelyn Badu is proving to be a fast-rising sensation in African women's football.

 Here are ten amazing facts that you do not kw about the Seikwa-born footballer:

1) Evelyn Badu is the first female footballer from her hometown, Seikwa, a beautiful small town located in Tain District in Bono Region, Ghana. She is a star in her hometown and was recently honoured by her community after she won the CAF Young Player of the Year (Female) and the InterClub Player of the Year.

2) At the maiden edition of the CAF Women's Champions League in 2021, Evelyn became the first player to win the player of the group stage award and back-to-back woman of the match awards; was named the best player of the tournament and also the highest goal scorer of the tournament. She was among the tournament's best 11 and helped her team to the finals, where they lost to Mamelodi Sundown Ladies of South Africa.

3) In her short career as a footballer, Evelyn has won six individual honours, including becoming the first African female footballer to win five debut CAF Awards.

4) Outside of football, her favourite hobby is dancing, and she is an ardent lover of African dance and music. She says that dancing helps to relax her soul.

5) Evelyn is passionate about advocating for women footballers in her country, Ghana, and believes they deserve substantial pay and respect just like the male footballers.

6) Evelyn Badu is the first female footballer from Ghana and Africa to win both the CAF Young player of the year and the Interclub player of the year in the same year. Very commendable for a young player, right?

7) She wants to have her foundation and help the needy, especially sick people in hospitals.

8) One of her lifelong goals is to return to school when she stops playing football. For Evelyn, schooling is fundamental, and she hopes to fulfil this dream someday.

9) She dreams of following in the footsteps of her African predecessors, like Asisat Oshoala, by playing for big clubs like Barcelona, Chelsea etc. and hopes to work with the famous sportswear brands Puma, Nike and Adidas.

10) Evelyn is greatly influenced by female Ghanaian footballer Samira Suleiman who plays as a forward for Ghana’s national women’s team and recently joined IA Akranes Women in Iceland’s women’s league. She also refers to Samira as her mentor.

The young sensation will seek to continue on her victorious run when she captains Ghana at the forthcoming U-20 World Cup in Costa Rica next month, from the 10th to 28th of August,2022. For her, her foremost priority will be to fly her country's flag high on the global stage and hope to bring home the silverware.

Go!