{"id":116808,"date":"2026-02-25T14:02:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T14:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=116808"},"modified":"2026-02-25T14:02:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T14:02:13","slug":"injuries-surgeries-and-losing-parents-milot-pokuaas-four-year-resilient-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=116808","title":{"rendered":"Injuries, surgeries and losing parents: Milot Pokuaa\u2019s four-year resilient fight"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>6 Minute, 4 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
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\u201cI had surgery, and the doctor said I would be out for nine months,\u201d Milot Pokuaa says. \u201cBut it couldn\u2019t happen that way. I stayed home for almost two years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasted my time,\u201d she adds, in a tone of frustration.<\/p>\n

The prognosis had been clear: nine months. A difficult but manageable setback. Enough time to heal. Enough time to return.<\/p>\n

But healing is not always obedient to medical timelines.<\/p>\n

What was meant to be a season lost became two. What was expected to be rehabilitation became isolation. While her peers trained, competed and improved, Milot remained on the sidelines: battling pain, doubt and the slow psychological weight of inactivity.<\/p>\n

As a youngster, the pitch was her ground.<\/p>\n

Between playing for Ghana\u2019s Black Maidens at the 2018 U17 Women\u2019s World Cup and the 2020\/21 women\u2019s football season, Milot was perhaps one of the top three forwards in the country. <\/p>\n

Despite Ghana\u2019s quarterfinal exit at the World Cup, she left that tournament knowing that she had left a positive impression on the minds of many Ghanaians. <\/p>\n

However, it was her performance in the Women\u2019s Premier League two years later that convinced many and earned her praise as she starred for Hasaacas Ladies. <\/p>\n

The Hasmal Ladies had a fearsome front three in the Southern Zone of the league and blew everyone apart en route to reaching the final. Milot on the left, Veronica Appiah through the middle and Doris Boaduwaa on the right was an attacking trio many feared to face.<\/p>\n

The three players combined for 26 goals; Milot scored nine, the same as Veronica, while Doris chipped in with eight in that season.<\/p>\n

\"Injuries,<\/figure>\n

Hasaacas made light work of Ampem Darkoa Ladies in the final, scoring four goals without conceding, a game in which Milot contributed with a goal and an assist. <\/p>\n

She had hit her prime, and with the introduction of the CAF Women\u2019s Champions League that season, Hasaacas were headed for the zonal qualifiers. Having eased their way into the final, Milot was taken off midway through the game against River Angels due to an injury. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe went to play in the WAFU B Women\u2019s Champions League Qualifiers, and playing against River Angels in the final, I got this terrible injury, and I was sent off the pitch,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"Injuries,<\/figure>\n

In the end, Hasaacas qualified for the maiden edition of the Champions League and carried Milot along to Egypt, not to play, but to psyche her for the mental battle ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey tried everything to make me happy because being home alone was something that didn\u2019t help my recovery, so they took me along and ensured I was happy and felt loved,\u201d she smiled as she spoke about the initiative. <\/p>\n

\"Injuries,<\/figure>\n

\u201cI was happy to see them play, though not playing was a worry, but I needed to cheer them up as they went all the way to the final.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back to Ghana after the trip in North Africa was where all of the miseries began for Milot. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and when I went to see the doctor, he told me I needed to undergo surgery that would keep me out for nine months. That happened, but the recovery didn\u2019t go to plan, and I was out for almost two years, then I had to go and perform a second surgery.<\/p>\n

\"Injuries,<\/figure>\n

While the surgeries were only the smallest of her concerns, Milot\u2019s bigger mental battle was dealing with the loss of the two most important people in her life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI lost my mum just weeks after undergoing my first surgery,\u201d an almost teary Milot said as the conversation continued. \u201cThat felt painful because it affected my recovery; I was going through a lot of pain. <\/p>\n

\u201cAfter losing my mom, I lost my stepdad four months later, and it felt like my world was gone. It was a terrible situation, but I am a tough girl, so I had to endure.\u201d <\/p>\n

In all of this, she had a shoulder to lean on in Hasaacas President Nana Banyin Eyison.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how to thank the club (Hasaacas Ladies), I wouldn\u2019t know how to say \u2018thank you\u2019 because they never left me while I went down, especially Uncle NAB, he did everything for me,\u201d she mentioned with tears dropping from her eyes. <\/p>\n

\"Injuries,<\/figure>\n

\u201cThey never left my side, and I will always be grateful to them. On my teammates, I wouldn\u2019t want to mention names, but they were very good to me in one way or another. <\/p>\n

\u201cSome went as far as paying for my rent<\/p>\n

Fast forward four years after the injury, Milot saw improvements in her knee and was given the green light to play again. <\/p>\n

But for her, that even gave her a bigger nightmare.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I was scared [that there would be a recurrence of the injury],\u201d she admitted. \u201cI had not suffered this injury in the past, so I had doubts over whether my knee is at its best or not.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always played with my mum around when she was alive but getting to the field and not seeing her again was something that also worries me.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to her, even the technical team is doing all possible to get her back in her mojo again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a new technical team compared to the ones that were here before, but even they are doing their very best to get me to my level again. They are doing very well, and I appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now playing in her first full season since the comeback from the devastating injury, Milot is determined to get back to who she was before the setback.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope to help this team so we can win the league again and get back to the zonal qualifiers for the Champions League, but I am not in a rush,\u201d she was quick to add. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor four years that I was out, I am now playing a full season, and I am still chasing my rhythm. I know the games will eventually add up and I will get back to where I belong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Injuries,<\/figure>\n

For all of her Champions League ambition, the rationale is that she has \u201cunfinished business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do think I have an unfinished business at the continental level because I couldn\u2019t play in the main tournament because of the incident that happened,\u201d she said with confidence beaming all over.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to win the league first, win the WAFU B qualifiers, and things will fall in place again. <\/p>\n

For Milot, \u201cgiving up is not an option\u201d as she sent a message across to young girls out there. <\/p>\n

\u201cI am a very strong girl, and looking at all I have been through, I have never given up. Stand firm and fight for your own good because no one will take your battle.\u201d<\/p>\n

After 13 weeks in the Women\u2019s Premier League season, Milot\u2019s hopes are gradually shaping up as Hasaacas currently sit top of the table in the Southern Zone while also making the semi-finals of the FA Cup. <\/p>\n

She has just one goal to her name, but she will be hoping that there is more in her scoring boots for the remainder of the season. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“After losing my mom, I lost my stepdad four months later, and it felt like my world was gone. It was a terrible situation, but I am a tough girl, so I had to endure.”<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":116809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[137,8568,5051,2317,17496,1883,477,10,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football","category-hasaacas-ladies","category-hp-sports-1","category-lawrence-baidoo","category-milot-pokuaa","category-national","category-opinion","category-politics","category-popular"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=116808"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116808\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/116809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=116808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=116808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=116808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}