Evelyn Badu - Ghana's rising star moves to Norway

Ghana's U20 women national striker Evelyn Badu has joined Norwegian Toppserien side Avaldsnes IL, on a two and-a-half year deal.

The 19-year-old, who has represented her country at U17 and U20 levels, completed the move from Ghana Women Premier League champions Hasaacas Ladies that she powered to a 2021 domestic quadruple.

With Hasaacas, Badu hugged the headlines in November, helping the Ghanaian club to the maiden TotalEnergies CAF Women's Champions League final in Egypt, where she won the Best Player of the Tournament and Golden Boot with five goals.

Commenting on her signing, Avaldsnes new manager John Arne Riise believes they have snapped up one of Africa's most promising young strikers ahead of the 2022 Toppserien season which starts in May.

"Evelyn is an offensively exciting player with good basic skills," said head coach John Arne Riise, who replaced esrtwhile manager Thomas Dahle earlier this December.

"She has a good eye, is a finisher, and will hopefully give us a lot of joy on the field. But it is important to give her time for everything new she wants to experience here in Norway, not just a new country and new culture, but not least another football culture.

"Despite that, we are betting that Evelyn will be a good addition to our team in 2022."

On international level, Badu was the heroine as Ghana past Zambia into the fourth round of the African qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup.

Her remarkable feat at the CAF Women's Champions League has seen the teenage sensation branded as one of the hottest prospects from Africa.