Wilberforce Mfum, the legendary former Asante Kotoko and Ghana national team striker, has passed away at the age of 88 following a brief illness. The football icon died on Sunday, May 11, 2025, marking a solemn moment for Ghanaian football.
Affectionately known as “The Bulldozer” for his powerful playing style, Mfum carved his name into history during the 1963 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). He scored Ghana’s first-ever goal in the competition’s opening match and later netted twice in the final against Sudan, helping the Black Stars lift their maiden continental title.
Mfum’s international career was as prolific as it was historic. He scored 20 goals in just 26 appearances for the Black Stars and was part of the squad that represented Ghana at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
At the club level, Mfum starred for Asante Kotoko during one of the club’s most dominant eras. His performances soon earned him a move abroad, making him one of Ghana’s early football pioneers in the United States.
In 1968, he joined the Baltimore Bays of the National Professional Soccer League. He later featured for Ukrainian SC in 1969 in the German American Soccer League, before switching to the Ukrainian Nationals in 1970, where he ended the season as joint top scorer in the American Soccer League. In 1971, Mfum signed with the New York Cosmos in the newly formed North American Soccer League (NASL), adding another chapter to his trailblazing career.
Mfum’s legacy remains a cornerstone of Ghana’s football history—a symbol of strength, skill, and dedication whose contributions both at home and abroad will never be forgotten.
