Fafali Dumahesi: Black Queens goalkeeper retires from football

Fafali Dumahesi Blankson, the goalkeeper for the Black Queens and Police Ladies' team, has announced her retirement from professional football after almost 16 years of playing. 

The 29-year-old police corporal has informed both her club and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) about her decision, citing that it was a necessary but painful one. She hopes to return to the sport in a coaching or administrative capacity in the future.

Despite retiring from active play, Blankson expressed gratitude for all that the sport has given her, including her career as a police officer. In an interview with Graphic Sports online, she thanked the GFA for the opportunity to serve her nation and spoke of the good friends she made during her career.

“Yes, I have retired from playing for both club and country. It is a painful decision, but it is a necessary decision. I’m grateful for all that the sport has given me and wish to sincerely thank the GFA for the opportunity to serve my nation.

“I have made very good friends. Football has given me a lot, including my profession a a police woman so I can not just walk away completely. Hopefully, I will return to the sport in another capacity,” she told Graphic Sports Online in an interview.

Career

Young Fafali Dumahesi began her football career at a very coach age when because of her height and physique, her Physical Education (PE) teacher at school encouraged her to be a goalkeeper when she decided to play football.

As a young player living in Ho, she played for Ho Ghatel Ladies and after a game in Accra,  earned a chance to justify her inclusion in the first national Under-20 team, the Black Princesses that played in the 2012 Women’s World Cup in Germany.

Having joined the Ghana Police Service after senior high school, she was obliged to play for Police Ladies and helped the team to qualify for the Women’s Premier League

After initial disappointment, in 2014, she earned her first Black Queens call up and remained a key player, acting as a captain or assistant captain, until her surprise announcement of retirement yesterday.

Honours

She was part of Ghana’s bronze medal winning team at the 2016 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Cameroun, said also played a key role when the Queens won the inaugural West African Football Union (WAFU) Zone B women’s competition in Abidjan in 2018.

In 2020, she got married to her teenage sweetheart, Kingsley Blankson, in an impressive and intimate ceremony at Ho. 

At the club level, she helped Police Ladies win the maiden Sanford Women’s FA Cup final against Fabulous Ladies in 2016.