She is awakening an entire country to women's football. At only 15 years old, Romaine Gandonou is already what one could call a football prodigy. Her cool and audacious talent is already electrifying stadium crowds.

Yesterday, Friday, April 17th, during the second leg of the first round of qualifying for the U17 Women's World Cup, the Amazonian player tormented the Burkinabe defense by scoring a memorable four goals. This outstanding performance allowed Benin to eliminate Burkina Faso, who had entered the match with a two-goal advantage thanks to their 3-1 victory in the first leg.

The Stallions Girls have therefore been eliminated, because of Miss Gandonou, a true nightmare for opposing defenses during international competitions.

11 goals in 4 matches during the qualifiers for the 2026 Women's U20 World Cup

Playing above her age group for Benin's U20 team, the Missérété native has already scored 11 goals in the Women's World Cup qualifiers for her age group. She notably netted four goals against Guinea and a hat trick against Egypt.

The people of Benin will be nothing but happy if they improve their statistics against Ivory Coast next May during the final round of qualifying for this Polish World Cup.

One thing is certain: the country is witnessing the emergence of an extraordinary talent. Romaine Gandonou is neither a promising prospect nor a passing fad. She is a true gem whose achievements in the league have already caught the eye of many a scout.

53 goals scored in D2

The current striker for Tambours FC d'Adjarra (a women's first division club) has already scored over twenty goals in fewer than ten matches played this season. Last season, she finished as the league's top scorer with 19 goals.

Tambours FC owes a great deal to this young player. She was the main architect of the club's promotion to Division 1 in 2024, finding the back of the net 53 times. Incredible!

Her father is certainly proud of what she is becoming, having worked to make her love football.

“I started playing football very young with my father, before joining the Etoile FC academy in Akpro-Missérété,” the teenager admitted in an interview with Sport News Africa. With the academy, she participated in several tournaments before joining Tambours FC for the 2021-2022 season. After a brief stint at Eagle Royal for one season, she returned to Tambours FC to continue her development.

Waiting until she's 18 to sign her with a big club

The young player's exploits in the league and with the national team have already attracted the interest of scouts from European clubs. The president of Tambours FC has even received offers for her, but he has rejected them.

The young player's management team has a clear vision: to wait until she turns 18 before placing her in a major European football club. The aim is to protect her and allow her to mature both physically and mentally.

This is not so bad when you know that Romaine aspires to "establish herself permanently at the highest level" and to "represent (her) country, Benin, with dignity".

 

Athlete before she was a footballer

In addition to her talent, the Missérété native possesses impressive physical abilities. In August 2024, she won the gold medal in the 800m at the national athletics championships. A little earlier, in April, she took gold in the 800m at the Five Nations Athletics U23 Championships in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. To complete her impressive record, she also won silver in the javelin throw at the same event.