Michaela Abam
Abam with Real Betis in 2019
Personal information
Full name Michaela-Batya Bisi Abam[1]
Date of birth (1997-06-12) 12 June 1997
Place of birth Houston, Texas, United States
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Toluca
Number 22
Youth career
Texas Rush
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2017 West Virginia Mountaineers 95 (42)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018 Sky Blue FC 4 (0)
2018–2019 Paris FC 10 (1)
2019–2020 Real Betis 20 (3)
2021–2022 Houston Dash 19 (1)
2023 Linköping FC 15 (2)
2024– Toluca 0 (0)
International career‡
2013 United States U17
2018– Cameroon 6 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 May 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:30, 17 July 2022 (UTC)

Michaela-Batya Bisi Abam (born 12 June 1997) is an American-born Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liga MX Femenil side Toluca and the Cameroon national team.[2] She previously played for Houston Dash and Sky Blue FC in the American National Women's Soccer League, Real Betis in the Spanish Primera División, Paris FC in the Division 1 Féminine, and West Virginia University.[3][4]

Early life

Abam was born in Houston, Texas. She attended Harmony Science Academy High School and played youth soccer with Texas Rush, which later became part of Houston Dynamo/Dash Youth Academy.[5]

College career

West Virginia University, 2014–2017

Abam played in a school-record 95 games for the Mountaineers, scoring 42 goals and 16 assists. In 2016, she scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over the University of North Carolina in the College Cup semi-final, leading WVU to their first-ever College Cup final.[6][7]

Club career

Sky Blue FC, 2018

Abam was selected by Sky Blue FC as the 4th overall pick in the 2018 NWSL College Draft.[8] In March she was named to the final roster for the 2018 season.[9] After appearing in four games for Sky Blue, she was waived by the team on July 25.[10]

Paris FC, 2018–2019

On 1 August 2018, Abam signed a one-year contract to play for Paris FC in France's Division 1 Féminine.[11] She appeared in 10 league matches and scored one goal.[12]

Real Betis, 2019–2020

On 7 August 2019, Abam signed a one-year contract to play for Spanish Primera División team Real Betis.[12] She appeared in 15 league matches, scoring three goals, before competition was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 24 September 2020, she scored a hat-trick against Hispalis in the pre-season Andalusian Women's Cup quarterfinals.[13] She appeared in five more league matches for Real Betis before leaving the club.[5]

Houston Dash, 2021–2022

In August 2021, Abam signed for the Houston Dash in the NWSL, becoming the first player signed by the Dash who attended a Dash-affiliated youth club.[14] Her first appearance was on 13 August 2021 against the Washington Spirit, where she scored the equalizing goal in a 2–2 draw.[5][15]

On 20 March 2023, the Dash announced that the club had waived Abam.[16]

Linköping FC, 2023–

On 4 April 2023, Damallsvenskan club Linköping FC announced that it had signed Abam.[4]

International career

Abam made her senior debut for Cameroon on 12 November 2018 in a 7–0 friendly win against Zambia, scoring twice.[17] Then, she was called up to compete at the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations, but did not make any appearance by problems with her Cameroonian passport.[18] In May 2019, she was named for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

International goals

Scores and results list Cameroon's goal tally first

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1
12 November 2018Stade Municipal (Bingerville), Abidjan, Ivory Coast Zambia
5–0
7–0Friendly
2
7–0

References

  1. ↑ "WVU Commencement Program" (PDF). West Virginia University Graduation. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  2. ↑ "Michaela Abam rejoint le Paris FC". 1 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  3. ↑ "MICHAELA ABAM". Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Transfer: Michaela Abam leaves Houston Dash as she returns to Europe". Kick 442. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Roepken, Corey (13 August 2021). "Houston Dash's Michaela Abam has happy homecoming". Texas Sports Nation. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  6. ↑ "Michaela Abam goal advances WVU to College Cup final". 2 December 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  7. ↑ West Virginia women's soccer headed to the Final. ESPN. 3 December 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "NWSL draft results: All the picks from all 4 rounds". 18 January 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  9. ↑ "Sky Blue FC announces official 2018 season roster". 19 March 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "Wednesday Roundup: Sky Blue FC waive Thaisa and Michaela Abam". 25 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "Michaela Abam rejoint le Paris FC". 1 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  12. 1 2 Ahmadu, Samuel (7 August 2019). "Michaela Abam: Real Betis sign Paris striker". Goal. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  13. ↑ Ahmadu, Samual (24 September 2020). "Michaela Abam's hat-trick leads Real Betis to Andalusian Cup semi-final". Goal. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  14. ↑ houstondynamofc. "Michaela Abam becomes first player from Dynamo | Dash Youth Club to sign with Houston Dash". Houston Dynamo FC. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  15. ↑ "National Women's Soccer League Official Site". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  16. ↑ "Houston Dash announce updated 2023 roster" (Press release). Houston Dynamo FC. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  17. ↑ "Cameroon hammer Zambia 7–0 in final pre-AWCON friendly". Footy-GHANA.com. 12 November 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  18. ↑ "Fécafoot : Michaela Abam, une négligence coupable" (in French). Camfoot.com. 23 April 2019.
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