BY Issah Olegor
Black Queens defender Josephine Bonsu has emerged as one of the standout performers of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after producing an outstanding defensive display that helped Ghana begin the tournament with a convincing victory over debutants Cape Verde.
Ghana made the perfect start to its Group D campaign with a 2-0 win, strengthening its quest to reach the knockout stage and ultimately secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
While forwards Doris Boaduwaa and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah played key attacking roles, it was Bonsu’s commanding performance at the heart of defence that laid the foundation for the Black Queens’ success.
The 26-year-old centre-back dominated throughout the contest, finishing the match with statistics that underlined her influence.
Josephine Bonsu became the first player at this year’s tournament to record more than 100 touches in a single game, highlighting her importance in the build-up play and ability to dictate the tempo from the back. She also won 11 of her 13 individual duels, the highest tally recorded by any player on the pitch against Cape Verde.
Her composed defending, intelligent positioning and excellent distribution ensured the Black Queens remained solid throughout the encounter, frustrating the tournament newcomers while providing the platform for Ghana to control large periods of the game.
Josephine Bonsu’s performance is another indication of her growing importance to the national team.
Since breaking into the Black Queens setup, she has established herself as one of Ghana’s most dependable defenders and played a significant role in the team’s resurgence on the continental stage.
Born in Germany, Bonsu currently plays for FC Carl Zeiss Jena in the Frauen-Bundesliga and has continued to impress with consistent performances at club and international level.
She was instrumental in the bronze-medal finish at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and also helped the Black Queens secure qualification for the 2026 tournament with a commanding 7-0 aggregate victory over Egypt during the qualifiers.
Despite representing a European club, Bonsu has repeatedly expressed her deep emotional connection to Ghana.
Earlier this year, she described wearing the national colours as a lifelong dream and revealed that representing the Black Queens is her way of honouring her father, whose influence inspired her football journey.
The Black Queens have been drawn in a competitive Group D alongside Cameroon, Mali and Cape Verde. Following their opening victory, Ghana will now turn attention to crucial fixtures against Cameroon on August 2 and Mali on August 6 as they seek to finish among the top two teams and book a place in the quarter-finals.
