Is VAR a superhero or a villain in the future of global football?

VAR has come under scrutiny once more after a series of controversial decisions made using the instant replay system during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.  FIFA introduced virtual assistant refereeing technology on the global football stage in the 2018 FIFA Men's World Cup in Brazil. It has received significant push back from football fans who argue that VAR will disrupt the game as it has come to be loved. Much of the same argument still exists. The position of VAR skeptics is that an increased focus on accuracy would take away the flair and free play. The relevance of VAR has been brought into question even further this year. VAR dominated headlines in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup after players and coaches raised fresh criticism about its relevance to global football.

“The statistics still show VAR improved the decision-making accuracy in the group stages to 98% as compared to 92.5% without it. Human error in football has always been frustrating given the fact that once the referee makes a call, whether right or wrong; there was no way to check in real-time.  ”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

Alex Morgan of the USA is fouled by Stefanie Van der Gragt of the Netherlands leading to a penalty during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Final match between The United States of America and The Netherlands at Stade de Lyon on July 07, 2019 in Lyon, France.

(July 6, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

VAR controversy at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup  

FIFA's decision to approve the use of VAR at the tournament came in March, just three months before the start of the competition. The timing of the VAR was the major challenge, with some coaches and pundits calling out FIFA for using the Women's World Cup as a testing ground for VAR. Cameroon's Indomitable Lionesses had a passionate protest during their round-of-16, 3-0 loss to England. Specifically, after feeling hard done by, the Cameroonians proceeded to stop play for minutes, refusing to continue the game in protest of the VAR decisions. Ellen White's second goal of the match was firstly ruled as offside and later allowed after VAR consultation. The same way that the Indomitable Lionesses felt that VAR had robbed them of their chances; other teams also faced a similar fate to the Cameroonians.

Among the other teams that had a bone to pick with the VAR system, was Scotland.  In the group stages of the tournament, Argentina came back from a 3-0 loss against Scotland to draw, 3-3. In stoppage time, a late infringement led to a VAR penalty decision which was initially saved by the Scottish goalkeeper. In a shocking twist, the referee ruled that the goalkeeper moved from the line before Argentina took the penalty shot and after consulting VAR, the penalty was retaken. Nigeria was too a victim of the penalty retake after France had missed the penalty, it was judged with VAR that the Nigerian goalie had moved off the line before the kick. 

Previously, such minor infringements would have gone unnoticed, but VAR is making the enforcement of the rules of the game much stricter. While everyone would agree that the rules should be observed for fair play, some do feel that football is becoming too rigid and too technical. 

Part of the debate around the FIFA Women's World Cup was around the new rule that was responsible for dashing the dreams of both Scotland and Argentina. The new rules from the International Football Board say that a goalkeeper must always have one foot on the line during a penalty kick as opposed to the previous rule of two feet.

The big screen inside the staduim informs fans of a VAR review in consideration, after referee Milorad Mazic awards Senegal a penalty, which he then rescinds after looking at the VAR footage during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group H match between Senegal and Colombia at Samara Arena on June 28, 2018 in Samara, Russia.

(June 27, 2018 - Source: Michael Steele/Getty Images Europe)

Do we even need VAR?

VAR is not detached from traditional refereeing —it's a sidekick to the match official, and it's not an either-or situation. Referees still have the last call in deciding whether an infringement has been made. Having video-assisted refereeing has overall reduced the number of incorrect calls and improved the accuracy of referees. The statistics still show VAR improved the decision-making accuracy in the group stages to 98% as compared to 92.5% without it. Human error in football has always been frustrating given the fact that once the referee makes a call, whether right or wrong; there was no way to check in real-time. 

A positive aspect of VAR is that it increases the transparency of the calls made by referees. They are countless allegations of dubious referees being caught in the thick of match fixing scandals that have rocked the footballing world and made us question the authenticity of the entire system. These referees were often part of a large scheme of match-fixers and betting mafias. When these ​match-fixing scandals​ come to the public's attention, it has always triggered a discussion around solutions to prevent such callous disregard of ethics by match officials. VAR can bring accountability, which has sometimes been lacking in football.  Before VAR, it was easy for referees to make dubious calls as a referee, VAR makes it more challenging to hide blatant match-fixing attempts. 

Colombia players confront referee Milorad Mazic after he awards Senegal a penalty before rescinding the decision after reviewing VAR footage during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group H match between Senegal and Colombia at Samara Arena on June 28, 2018 in Samara, Russia.

(June 27, 2018 - Source: Stu Forster/Getty Images Europe)

While the coming of VAR was quite a noble effort by the football governing bodies, the interpretation of "match-changing situations" needs to be given more attention. Referees have lost the autonomy to make decisions without leaning on the VAR to confirm each decision, leading to longer and slower games. I would argue that the biggest flaw of VAR is that it slows down the pace of the game. Games are now featuring more abrupt 2 minutes, even up to 4 minutes stop to allow the referee to review the VAR footage. Before VAR, it was rare to see a game stop as many times as has become common. Ultimately, increase in stoppage time has increased the average length of matches. In the 2018 Men's World Cup, the average stoppage time increased from 5.4 minutes to 6.4 minutes.

VAR going forward

The success of VAR depends on making some critical changes to how it's used. The Premier League will use VAR for the first time in the 2019/20 season. The Football Association has been paying close attention to the controversies surrounding VAR at the Women's World Cup in preparing for the launch of VAR in the 2019-2020 season. One thing that has come up in how the FA would like to do things differently to how we've seen VAR in previous tournaments is to reduce its interference and apply it more consistently in accordance with the laid out rules.

Despite the controversies, I would argue that VAR should stay. Fair play is becoming more of a reality owing to VAR. The FA has correctly defined the guidelines for the part that VAR will play in the Premier League. FIFA must reanalyze the interaction with VAR globally which would allow for more seamless consultations.

The USA are back to back champs. Even though European nations are making progress, substance must always trump style.

Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Allie Long celebrate during the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Victory Parade and City Hall Ceremony on July 10, 2019 in New York City.

(July 9, 2019 - Source: Getty Images North America)

Introduction

Over the past few months leading to the global showpiece that is the FIFA World Cup, the women’s football fraternity has been filled with both inspiration and disappointing news. Some of the issues caused an international uproar while a fair share caused the rest of the world to take a pause, sit back and critically think of the issues that are affecting our societies. We saw Ada Hegerberg refuse to appear in the 2019 World Cup because of a dispute between her and the Norwegian football federation over the amount of resources availed to the national team. Some fans were of the persuasion that the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner feels like she has gotten bigger than the Norwegian national team whereas others did agree that maybe it was time we looked at how our governments prioritize what women do. Even after we went past that wave of the tournament proceeding without Ada on the field, there were still more complaints about it. It was firstly, the fact that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was introduced very close to the world cup which did not give players and coaches enough time to get used to the revolutionary equipment that is meant to improve the quality of refereeing decisions. There was also the general misconception that the FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC) was a counterfeit of the men’s World Cup and its credibility got questioned by some. Cameroon’s “childish” behavior during their match against England in the round-of-16 and the “exaggerated” celebrations in the USWNT’s 13-0 win over Thailand also brought a lot of interesting conversations on the streets. In the midst of all that, nothing could stop the ladies from giving their best and we got to the end of the tournament where we saw the United States Women’s National team win the WWC for the fourth time, which is more than any other national team has won it. We want to analyse what this means for women’s football and think through some of the structures that have been put in place that enable the level of excellence shown by the USWNT.

“ Their win has brought even more attention to this crucial conversation in the society and given the champions and the rest of the world, more evidence to further their cause.”

— Simiso Shabangu, FirstTouch Africa

Lieke Martens, Stefanie van der Gragt, Vivianne Miedema and Anouk Dekker of the Netherlands make a defensive wall during the Final of the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 between Netherlands and Denmark at FC Twente Stadium on August 6, 2017 in Enschede, Netherlands.

(Aug. 5, 2017 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe)

USWNT winning formula over the years

When you win once, it could easily be discarded as odds being in your favor, but if you do it multiple times, then it means excellence has become part of your DNA. How that excellent character comes to life can only be as a result of intentional and systematic efforts in the form of structures put in place, enabling that kind of behavior. Here’s some of them:

 1.Thriving local soccer leagues and international exposure

The U.S. has generally invested a lot into structures such as the university soccer leagues that do not only enable the identification of talent, but allows this talent to be groomed into the powerhouse that the national team has become. A report by College Choice proves that soccer has become a key part of college life in the US spanning across decades. This places the country far ahead of any other country that they get to meet at the world cup. In essence, preparation for the world cup does not begin a few days before, but begins decades before the ladies get to hit the field.

Lucy Bronze of England celebrates with teammates after scoring her team's third goal during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Quarter Final match between Norway and England at Stade Oceane on June 27, 2019 in Le Havre, France.

(June 26, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

 Beyond the university leagues, there are also thriving local leagues that challenge the players to put on their A-game all the time. Leagues like the Women’s Premier Soccer League and the National Women’s Soccer League have become the breeding ground for talent in the US and even the go to destination for foreign players. Some of their players also get to play in other leagues outside of the country where they are chiseled into legends of excellence. Local leagues have raised stars that include Hope Solo, Alex Morgan and Lindsey Horan. As a national team, they have also always participated in the SheBelieves Cup, and numerous international friendlies. This goes to prove that you cannot build a great team without exposure to opportunities that yield continuous growth.

 2. Deeply inculcated “winning” mindset

The kind of attitude and character that has also been inculcated into the team is that of ruthlessness and unrelenting at all times. Only a team that has been groomed to be like that can polarize opinion by scoring 13 goals against Thailand and still play like they are trailing. This attitude is also supported by prominent voices in the US space that are calling for equal pay in the game and the investment of resources into growing women’s soccer in the US. Equally ingrained in the Stars & Stripes’ drive is the innate desire to want to excel at something they started. As one of the initial pioneers of the WC, it is not a surprise that the US have maintained that level of excellence over the years. They got to learn the winning formula way before anybody else joined the game.

 Setting a precedence and inviting others in

The 2019 world cup victory is actually not just for the USWNT, but extends to women’s soccer in general. Regional competitions like the Total Women Africa Cup of Nations and the UEFA Women’s Euro Cup have also gained prominence in the field. Their contribution to the development of talent in the game can never be overstated. Players who participate in these tournaments become the cornerstones and jewels of their national teams. The bigger wave of women empowerment across the world that advocates for women’s equal inclusion in sports is also something that is contributing to the exponential growth of women’s football. For example, Procter & Gamble donated $529K to further bridge the gender pay gap in U.S soccer. Other countries like France and the Netherlands have heeded the call for inclusion in sports and have made substantial investments in their local leagues.

 The investment in local leagues explains why the USWNT did not cruise through the tournament but faced fierce competition from Spain, England and France. Even Alex Morgan attested to the competitive nature of the 2019 finals by stating that “I think during the tournament it’s more emotionally exhausting. After, we are actually so sleep deprived — like it’s physically exhausting.” That exhaustion was a sign of how hard that win must have come for the US because other teams were equally determined to win the championship too.

Amandine Henry of France celebrates her team's second goal with team mates during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Round Of 16 match between France and Brazil at Stade Oceane on June 23, 2019 in Le Havre, France.

(June 22, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

 Even the progress of the African teams that were at the tournament highlighted the bigger conversation about the growing and maturing nature of the women’s game across the world. For the first time in history, two African teams, namely Cameroon and Nigeria, advanced to the knockout stages. The only team that could understandably not advance were debutants, South Africa. The improvement can also be accorded to the fact that African players are now able to play in other leagues outside of Africa. For example, Thembi Kgatlana plays for Beijing BG Phoenix F.C. in the Chinese Women's Super League while Asisat Oshoala is blessing Barcelona Femmine with her presence. Such exposure gives them a feel of how the game is played on other sides of the world way before they go to international tournaments like the World Cup. In our past article, we gave a detailed analysis of how impressively unbeatable Lyon has become. Since it is an international club with players from diverse nationalities, their spirit, drive and energy is able to spread across to other countries as well.

 The world has also been impressed by players such as Thembi Kgatlana who was named the 2018 CAF’s Footballer of the Year and Hegerberg who has gone to be the first woman to win the Ballon d’Or. More notably, there is also a rise in the quality of coaches who offer technical support to their teams. Some legends have returned through their teams today. For example, former Manchester United legend Phil Neville is now managing England.

Alex Morgan of the USA is challenged by Lucy Bronze, Jade Moore and Nikita Parris of England during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Semi Final match between England and USA at Stade de Lyon on July 02, 2019 in Lyon, France.

(July 1, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe

 Why USWNT’s win is important for women’s football

One thing we have gotten used to is the influence of the U.S. on the affairs of other countries. If the idea of equal attention, pay and investment in sports is successful in the U.S., it can then trickle down to other countries. Their win has brought even more attention to this crucial conversation in society and given the champions and the rest of the world, more evidence to further their cause. Other prominent figures like Megan Rapinoe who got both the Golden Ball award as the World Cup’s best player and the Golden Boot as its leading scorer have grabbed the attention of President Trump who was quoted saying, “the conversation is no longer about should we have equal pay, or should we be supporting women. It’s how do we support not only athletes but women in general.” The involvement of newspapers and cash donations from companies like Secret Deodorant have also given this discourse more positive attention.

 Conclusion

We can never congratulate the USNWT team enough, not just for the win but the consistent excellence. It has helped the rest of us recognize and appreciate the true meaning of commitment and being deliberate about setting ourselves up for success. We have seen that the U.S. win does not begin every 4 years but generations before. Beyond the championship, it is also important to recognize the contribution of such performances to the more crucial conversation about women in sports, inclusion and equal remuneration.

2019 WWC Review: After all the African teams failed to make it past the Round of 16, What’s next for the game in Africa?

With the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup now in the books, it's time to reflect on what an amazing month of soccer it was, precisely for Africa. This year’s World Cup, saw two of Africa’s three representatives reaching the round of 16. Below we breakdown the happenings of the tournament with a focused attention on the African teams; Nigeria, Cameroon and South Africa as well as the future of the sport on the continent moving forward.

“Further to this, according to Yasmine Arkoub, co-founder of sports consulting firm, Melting Sports, there are also plans to launch an African Women’s Champions League. Additionally, former Nigerian player Yusuf-Aromire has also launched the SheFootball Initiative to encourage young Nigerian girls to get on the pitch.”

— Siphosethu Thwala, FirstTouch Africa

Claudia Goette of Leverkusen challenges Amanda Dlamini of South Africa during the women's friendly match between South Africa and Bayer Leverkusen at Sport School Hennef on July 12, 2012 in Recklinghausen, Germany.

(July 11, 2012 - Source: Christof Koepsel/Getty Images Europe)

AFRICA’S 2019 WORLD CUP EXPLOITS SUMMARISED

Nigeria

Nearly knocked out of the group stages as a result of a controversial VAR decision, the Nigerian Super Falcons had a decent world cup performance as they managed to reach the round of 16. While they were knocked out by two time champions, Germany, the West African team did meet their primary objective of at least qualifying for the knockout stages. Thus, the team will look to build on from this in preparation for future tournaments and ultimately the 2023 World Cup. What is more, coach Thomas Dennerby looks to have unearthed some young players who could be long term foundations of the squad.

Cameroon

Cameroon qualified for the round of 16 after beating New Zealand 2-1 in their final group match. A big letdown for the Cameroonians was their failure to be clinical in front of goal throughout the tournament. The Indomitable Lionesses were very creative and threatening going forward but a bit less cohesive defensively. In their last time out, Cameroon lost 3-0 to England in a match that was characterised by intense physicality and various controversial VAR decisions. One may not be faulted for believing that the less sportive behavior displayed by the Cameroon team during their match against England marred their never say die attitude which had helped them reach the round of 16. The players refused to restart the game after England had scored a goal awarded by a controversial VAR decision, causing a conundrum on the field of play in an unbearable sight for football fans.

South Africa

To whom much is given much is expected, says an old adage. After a stellar showing at the 2018 Women’s AFCON tournament last year where they reached the finals, much was expected from the South African women’s team. The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup was Banyana Banyana’s first ever appearance at that stage. The team lost all three matches though they did manage to salvage some pride by scoring a consolation goal courtesy of star player Thembi Kgatlana in their 3-1 loss against Spain. Nevertheless, perhaps some positives can be taken from Banyana’s world cup journey. Their ability to reach the tournament for the first time is something not to be taken lightly. Furthermore, the team has been able to blend in experience and youth that has come up the ranks, and as such, by the time the next world cup tournament arrives, a majority of the team’s youngsters would have reached their peak and will be ready to be more competitive.

Cameroon line up during the Women's Football first round Group E Match of the London 2012 Olympic Games between Cameroon and Brazil at Millennium Stadium on July 25, 2012 in Cardiff, Wales.

(July 24, 2012 - Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe)

THERE ARE OTHERS

While the above teams have exerted their place as the leading women’s football nations from the continent, there are other teams that are closely behind them that may rise in the near future. These include Mali, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The Mighty Warriors were the first Zimbabwean national football team to make it to a global event after qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Previously, Zimbabwe had qualified for the Women's Africa Cup of Nations three times and their best performance was a fourth place finish at the 2000 edition held in Nigeria. Moreover, the upcoming COSAFA Cup will be an opportunity for the Mighty Warriors to redeem themselves and show their competence especially after failing to book a place at the Africa Women's Cup of Nations (AWCON) last year.

SOME CHALLENGES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE WOMEN’S GAME

It must be pointed out that African national teams (both women and men) still have a long way to go if they are to succeed in major tournaments such as the Men and Women’s FIFA World Cup. Prominent even today, stories of pay disputes between players and the football governing body remain poisonous to the development of the sport and if left unaddressed, will continue to be a problem. Such disputes have reared their ugly heads as a result of the corruption and general mismanagement that plagues high-level football across Africa. Despite being home to large throngs of football lovers and also some of the world’s best players, football federations across the continent are engulfed by cancerous maladministration which creates a lot of problems that ultimately force players to take extreme measures in an effort to get their payments. Noteworthy examples that come to mind include the issues faced by the Nigerian women’s team after beating Cameroon 5-0 to win the AWCON back in 2004. The Nigerian federation refused to pay players their bonuses and pending allowances as the federation claimed there was no money. The players eventually got their dues after continued pressure from both players and the media. Fast forward to 2019, the same issue arose at the end of their world cup journey.  It was reported that the Super Falcons refused to return home unless they were paid. Therefore, the absence of proper structures to deal with such problems will continue to result in unrest and lack of optimal performances from national team players.

Renata Costa of Brazil scores a header during the Women's Football first round Group E Match of the London 2012 Olympic Games between Cameroon and Brazil at Millennium Stadium on July 25, 2012 in Cardiff, Wales.

(July 24, 2012 - Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe)

A GLOBAL VIEW

In the same vein, another predominant issue not only in African women’s football but globally as well, has been the issue of unequal pay between the men’s and the women’s teams. It was reported that Banyana Banyana, South Africa women’s team, were paid 10 times less than Bafana Bafana, the men’s team. As such, this damning discovery resulted in the South African Football Association (SAFA) taking action to rectify this. To this end, in May 2019, SAFA increased Banyana's pay and made it equivalent to their male counterparts in a move that was welcomed by many South African football lovers. It was also reported that Nigeria too, has recently taken steps to correct the wage disparity between male and female players. The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) told CNN it conducted a pay review in 2017 resulting in basic match bonuses for the Super Falcons being raised to $3,000 per player, while the basic bonus for the men's team was reduced from $10,000 to $5,000 per player. According to Samuel Ahmadu, a member of the women's committee for the NFF, the enormous pay gap in the African game can partly be attributed to poor handling of female football teams by their sports associations.

INFRASTRUCTURE & REASONS TO BE HOPEFUL

Despite the difficulties faced by many female players on the continent, there are signs of hope for the women's game. The Confederation of African Football (CAF), has been making bold steps towards investing in women's football. In 2018, the CAF President in a speech at the CAF women's football symposium alluded that the organization would prioritize women's competitions and support local federations in managing women's teams. Further to this, according to Yasmine Arkoub, co-founder of sports consulting firm, Melting Sports, there are also plans to launch an African Women's Champions League. Additionally, former Nigerian player Yusuf-Aromire has also launched the SheFootball Initiative to encourage young Nigerian girls to get on the pitch. The Super Falcons legend offers training for girls and provides football kits for those who can't afford them. "There are a million girls out there who want to play football but are not being encouraged. They just need the support and access to opportunities," she said.

Worth noting is that many African players have been travelling overseas in search for better opportunities to develop their football talents and advance their careers, yet the national teams have found themselves unable to shine on the global stage and many nations are still without a professional league. It is said that out of the 54 national associations in Africa, 25 countries currently have a women’s league with only four boasting well-organized and quality competitions, namely Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and South Africa. As a result, the insignificant number of leagues on the continent hinders many players’ abilities to compete at the highest level consistently, both at national and club level.

“Fast forward to 2019, the same issue arose at the end of their world cup journey.  It was reported that the Super Falcons refused to return home unless they were paid. Therefore, the absence of proper structures to deal with such problems will continue to result in unrest and lack of optimal performances from national team players.”

— Siphosethu Thwala, FirstTouch Africa

Asisat Oshoala #8 of Nigeria reacts after scoring the second goal against Sweden during the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 Group D match between Sweden and Nigeria at Winnipeg Stadium on June 8, 2015 in Winnipeg, Canada.

(June 7, 2015 - Source: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images North America)

Considering all else, there is a long way to go for African football, and the following are some of the action points that I believe need to be addressed by relevant stakeholders in order to improve the sport. Firstly, football associations should make it a priority to source for more sustainable sponsorship for national women’s leagues. This will help in not only having enough prize money for the leagues, but it will also help in attracting local players to remain in the continent as a result of increased competitiveness in the domestic leagues, as well as increasing awareness and abolishing stigma surrounding women’s football which can ultimately draw more sponsors. Additionally, more partnerships between countries should be formed to fast-track the development of players. For instance, one notable initiative in this regard has been the partnership between SAFA and the Spanish La Liga which has seen the League commit to sponsoring the South African Under-17 women’s national team’s (Bantwana) trip to Spain to play two important friendly matches against select sides from La Liga’s national women’s league. SAFA’s representative remarked, “we have received balls to give to our provinces from La Liga, they have sent us La Liga qualified coaches to train our local coaches and have been heavily involved in initiatives with our regions and provinces to develop the sport at grassroots level.”

More of such partnerships are needed across the continent if women’s football in Africa is to rise to the level it belongs.

2019 WWC Review: Five Breakout Stars of the Tournament (Stars of the future)

WE ALL WIN

“One of the most secure bets in the entire world will always be on Thembi. As South Africa took on Spain in their first ever world cup finals match in France 2019, she got the landmark goal. ”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Inside a close to 60 000 capacity filled Lyon Olympic Stadium, an aura of love and triumph filled the air. Rumblings, hummings, cheers and all kinds of sounds that can be heard when thousands of voices come together for a common goal and spectacle. Most audibly were the chants, “USA…USA… USA,” the Stars and Stripes had put two goals past the Oranje of Netherlands to claim the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a second successive world cup gold and a record fourth for the Americans. Obviously the Dutch players and supporters weren’t the most joyful in that stadium but their ponytailed hair, orange painted faces and the three striped flags still hoisted high sent a clear message of momentary disappointment at a lost battle but everlasting delight of a won war. Just outside the stadium, in France, Europe, America and all across the world; watch parties satisfactorily concluded and the interviewed supporters in New York, who wore “Team USA” apparel could be heard saying, their women’s team “are like superheroes,” tears of joy streaming down their cheeks also bearing witness to the said words.

A historic 60 000 capacity stadium filled for a women’s game is an applaudable feat, but so are the 14.3 million viewers who were watching on their television sets all across the USA alone, pipping the 11.4 million that watched the 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup. In the grasp of the monumental milestones for the women’s game, young and daring upcoming stars who grabbed the world cup opportunity by the scruff of its neck posed a stubborn assurance of what’s to come in the near future. In other words, it’s all just getting started.

Lest we forget, we took some time to list down five of the breakout stars of the France 2019 tournament, we should all keep a keen eye on in the near future. Without further ado, let’s get it!

VIVIANNE MIEDEMA - NETHERLANDS & ARSENAL

Vivianne Miedema of Netherlands reacts during the Group A match between Belgium and Netherlands during the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 at Koning Willem II Stadium on July 24, 2017 in Tilburg, Netherlands.

(July 23, 2017 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe

Background

Graceful. That’s how I can describe her. It’s like she has some ice in her veins. At only 23, the common age for upcoming players, she is already the all-time top goal scorer for the Netherlands women’s national team. Vivianne’s 61 goals tally even surpass the record for the men’s team held by Robin van Persie.

The young forward started playing football as early as the age of 5. Since then, the Hoogeveen born player hasn’t stopped quickly climbing up the ranks while taking the world by storm. Miedema made her senior career debut with SC Heerenveen in her home country, scoring 78 goals in 69 appearances after which she was quickly snapped up by Bayern Munich once she reached eighteen. After 3 years in Germany, a time in which she was part of a Bayern side that finished the 2014/15 season unbeaten and won the league title for the first time since 1976, Miedema linked up with FA WSL side, Arsenal. It was also during her Bayern spell that the forward earned the reputation of “being the most gifted striker in Europe.” It’s actually easy to see why.

Playing style

By reason of having grown up idolizing the Arsenal and Dutch legend, Robin van Persie, her game and manner of playing is very much like the 35-year-old Feyenoord forward. Although, careful mention needs to be made that Vivianne is the first of her name; in all aspects. Standing at 1.75m tall, she is relatively taller than most women footballers and poses a strong and imposing figure in the opponent’s box. She is in the top 0.01% when it comes to hold-up play, that is excellent first touch and releasing other wide players even as she maintains the furthest and most central attacking position at both Arsenal and the Netherlands. Most remarkably, Miedema is praised for her “killer instinct.” You don’t have to take my word for it, former Dutch coach, Roger Reijners described her as that, after helping the nation secure its first ever world cup qualification in 2015. The Arsenal forward can carve out defences, wriggle past markers, make something out of nothing, possesses the fiercest of shots and is very good in the air.

What’s to come?

She has been the Dutch team’s main striker and star player. The team that won the 2017 UEFA Women’s Championship and the 2019 FIFA Wold Cup silver medal. She scored her first three world cup goals to help the Netherlands go all the way to their first world cup final. After also having racked up a record 22 FA WSL goals in Arsenal’s title winning 2018/19 season, winning the PFA Players’ Player of the year and several other individual accolades during the course of her career, it’s clear that much more is to come. With at least 7 years left in her football career, one would be very unwise not consider her as a possible future Balon d’Or winner.

ROSE LAVELLE – USWNT AND WASHINGTON SPIRIT

Rose Lavelle of USA during the international friendly between Sweden and USA at Ullevi Stadium on June 8, 2017 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

(June 7, 2017 - Source: Nils Petter Nilsson/Ombrello/Getty Images Europe)

Background

This is the lady who exploded towards the Netherlands box, carved out the defence and scored the insurance goal, the one that wrapped up the US Women’s National Team’s 2-0 world cup title win against the Netherlands in front of a 60 000 capacity stadium. The Cincinnatti, Ohio born girl who picked “professional soccer player,” as her intended career in a 3rd grade book report, is much more than that now. Just a few weeks ago, she took home the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Bronze ball after being recognised as the third best player of the tournament behind world cup winning captain, Megan Rapinoe and England’s Lucy Bronze. In only her first ever world cup appearance since debuting for the world champions in 2017.

The 24-year-old Lavelle started playing soccer at a tender age and has gradually climbed up the ranks of U.S youth teams. After a hugely successful 4-year collegiate career with the Wisconsin Badgers, Lavelle has had a highly nomadic career representing all of Dayton Dutch Lions twice, Seattle Sounders, Boston Breakers and now the Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Playing style

As an extremely hard-working box to box midfielder, it’s easy to explain why Lavelle has managed to score 10 goals in 33 appearances for her country since her debut in 2017. Midfielders don’t usually rack up such numbers. Rose is a dynamic, quick, intelligent and very composed player who seem to have a maturity least expected of her age. That world cup final goal against the Dutch goes a long to explain what she’s like; quick, tricky, direct, fearless and ruthless.

What’s to come?

As the youngest player who was a consistent presence in the USWNT and started the world cup final, we don’t have to look very far if we are to play a game of identifying future stars and captains of the USWNT. Her bronze ball win at the 2019 FIFA Women’s world cup is surely the first of many widely acclaimed international individual accolades to come. It sure looks like Rosemary is going to need more space to contain her over 14 individual accolades won during her collegiate career and many more to come.

KEIRA WALSH – ENGLAND AND MANCHESTER CITY

Keira Walsh of England during the International Friendly between England Women and Australia Women at Craven Cottage on October 9, 2018 in London, England.

(Oct. 8, 2018 - Source: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Europe)

Background

You cannot talk the future of English football without mentioning the name Keira Fae Walsh coming up more than once, obviously together with other headlining young stars such as Georgia Stanway. Just like the aforementioned USWNT’s Rose Lavelle, Walsh was England’s youngest player in their semi-final clash against the Americans and for the greater part of the tournament, if not throughout. Coincidentally, just like Lavelle, they all help anchor the midfield of their nations. The 22-year-old Rochdale born midfielder first burst onto the scene in 2014 appearing as a substitute for FA WSL’s Manchester City. The wheels just never came off from hence forth, playing a total of more than 64 competitive fixtures for the Manchester Blue. Also, interestingly similar to Lavelle, Walsh was also making her FIFA World Cup debut for the Three Lionesses in France and it’s safe to say she took it with aplomb.

Style of play

Walsh’s composure makes you wonder if she takes ice for breakfast. She is not the kind to run up the pitch and knack-in some goals but rather prefers to stay put and cover her defensive frontline, which worked seamlessly well as she partnered with a more experienced and advanced midfielder, Jill Scott in England’s set-up. Walsh hardly does the spectacular and really doesn’t need to. Her first touch, pin point accurate passes, tackles and ability to break-up opposition play ensures she really becomes an anchor of any midfield fortunate enough to have her.

What’s to come?

After a highly successful start to her Manchester City career that has seen Keira learn to win as they captured 6 major trophies in 5 years which include an FA Women’s Super League title and 2 FA Cups, she is just going to win so much more. With a lot of years ahead of her and the legs to run them, future England success will most probably have her fingerprints all over it. Quote me anywhere and I will say now and maybe forever;

Keira Walsh, that’s a future English captain right there.

KADI DIANI – FRANCE AND PSG

Kadidiatou Diani of France during the friendly match between France Women and Australia Women at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on October 5, 2018 in Saint-Etienne, France.

(Oct. 4, 2018 - Source: Marc Atkins/Getty Images Europe)

Background

Ask all the players who were less fortunate to be entrusted with the role of marking her in the just ended FIFA world cup and they will tell you all about Kadidiatou Diani. The 24-year-old pacey winger really has an enviable relationship with the ball, able to do whatever she wants with it. In France’s run to the quarter-finals where they lost 1-2 to eventual winners, the USWNT, Diani was a constant presence on the right flank, tracking back and unrelenting in the offensive. Whenever she held the ball, something special always seemed most likely to happen and yes she did leave defenders in sixes and sevens once or twice with her bag of tricks and directness. Kadi was born in Ivry-sur-Seine, France and first played senior professional football for Juvisy between 2010-17 before joining Paris Saint Germain. She has since scored 19 goals in 44 appearances for the Parisians and capped 51 times by the France national team since her international debut in 2014.

Playing style

The PSG forward didn’t score a handful of goals during the world cup but her work on the right channel was there for all to see, a super exciting player to watch that reminds many of the exploits of French legend, Thierry Henry. Full of confidence, supersonic pacey and power; Kadi is fully aware that she can take on any challenging player in the business, evidenced by the high rate of successful dribbles per match. Her work-rate which has seen her recover balls and force mistakes off defenders, illustrates an admirable skill set of a modern player who is equally as good on the ball just as she is off it.

What’s to come?

At only 24-years of age, Kadi looks an indispensable figure on the right flank of Les Bleues, a collectively young, progressive and hungry side tipped to start winning some elusive major silverware in the near future. She may have scored just 10 goals in 51 appearances for France but every logical aspect of her style of play, career and growth tells the story of much more to come. Soon enough, the most memorable moments of her career won’t be limited to the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup where she bagged 4 goals and helped France to the title; Kadi’s next big moment might just define the future of football as a whole.

THEMBI KGATLANA – SOUTH AFRICA AND BEIJING BG PHOENIX F.C

Thembi Kgatlana of South Africa runs with the ball during the Women's Group E first round match between South Africa and China PR on Day 1 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 6, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

(Aug. 5, 2016 - Source: Harry How/Getty Images South America)

Background

This is not obviously the first time we are writing about Thembi here at First Touch. The 23-year-old has been undoubtedly the best player on the continent in the past year after playing a starring role for South Africa’s silver medal win at the 2018 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations and in securing a historic world cup finals debut appearance for Banyana Banyana. The young forward was on song throughout the 2018 Ghana AFCON finals, taking home the top goal scorer award, the best player of the tournament accolade and also bagging several others at the 2018 CAF Awards Gala. Kgatlana became somewhat a revelation to many when she first appeared on the international scene in 2018. Before then, the South African forward had been silently on the grind in the books of the University of Western Cape in the Southern African nation. She has since moved to the U.S National Women’s Soccer League side, Houston Dash and now represents the Chinese Women’s Super League side, Beijing BG Phoenix.

Style of play

Before her, not many as quick as her, slick, direct, in possession of the most powerful shot and having that sort of killer instinct had been seen rising up and shining on the continent. She announced herself to the world with a cracker of a goal on the edge of the box as Banyana registered a 1-0 win over defending champions Nigeria, in their 2018 AWCON opening match.

What’s to come?

One of the most secure bets in the entire world will always be on Thembi. As South Africa took on Spain in their first ever world cup finals match against Spain in France 2019, she got the landmark goal. A woman who shines everywhere and one who has become the face of the future of African football.

FINAL NOTE

Conclusively, Vivianne, Rose, Keira, Kadi and Thembi are really some of the most exciting stars to keep an eye on in the near future. Who else makes this list?

“A historic 60 000 capacity stadium filled for a women’s game is an applaudable feat, but so are the 14.3 million viewers who were watching on their television sets all across the USA alone, pipping the 11.4 million that watched the 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup. In the grasp of the monumental milestones for the women’s game, young and daring upcoming stars who grabbed the world cup opportunity by the scruff of its neck posed a stubborn assurance of what’s to come...”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Can host nation France follow in the Men’s team’s footsteps?

The 2018 Blues

It was a night of dances, cheers, laughs, cries and even so much more. Perhaps the culmination of all human emotions, those we love and some not so much. One game, one football and one tournament bred all of them. Why not? It’s the biggest football showpiece in the realm of human kind, the FIFA World Cup. All of the high and mighty had descended upon Russia in June of 2018 with the simple aim of taking home the world cup gold. All the different skin colors, languages, creeds or religions of the final 32 nations present to contest for the ultimate prize was reduced to one. Goals. Those to outscore their opponents being the most fluent in the new language.

On that particular night, the climax of all fights, contests and contentions – France reigned supreme and perhaps changed the men’s football language to French, at least until Qatar 2022. Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti drew first blood by ruthlessly heading the ball past Croatia’s Subasic from a resulting corner that led to a Mandzukic own goal. Of course the highlight therein was his sassy and missy like dance which he was so kind enough to repeat on several other occasions. Then Griezmann converted from the penalty spot after their European counterparts had pulled one back through Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic. He too, turning the pitch into a dancefloor with a fortnite move, not the first by the departing Atletico Madrid forward. Mbappe danced like Mbappe as the French hit song suggested whereas Pogba didn’t actually dance when he found the back of the net on the night. After carefully placing a rebounded long range shot in the bulgy net and wrapping up the 4-2 win for Les Bleues, the Manchester United midfielder instead decided to lend an ear to his critics and silenced them with joy as he celebrated the all but certain France’s second ever world cup triumph.

That was fun, at least for the Frenchmen who were dancing their way into the history books with an emphatic 4-2 win in the final. Also crushing 32 dreams in the process, most apparent being the Croats who had impressively fought with sweat, blood and tears, against all odds, to reach their first ever FIFA World Cup final. But that’s part of the game we all love, when some rejoice, it’s almost certain that others will languish in despair of what could have been and wait for the chance to go again.

As good as all the above may sound, it’s certainly water under the bridge now. However, a new hunt is on the horizon and blank history books are going to be opened for keen writers to leave their mark. Same FIFA World Cup tournament but this time, it’s the women who get to have their say.

The 2019 Hunt

As luck would have it, it’s not only the winning spirit of 2018 that could boost Les Bleues towards an unprecedented world cup triumph, they also have the home advantage. All of the 24 finalists for this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup will fly to France and play across nine different venues and cities for the single most important silverware in the community of women’s footballing nations. From the 7th of June to 7th of July 2019, the fight will be in France. Amongst those present, the three time and record winners in US Women’s National Team, Germany, Japan, England and the Netherlands are expected to mount a strong world cup title challenge. And of course, the host nation, whose prospects we shall exhaustively explore in the following paragraphs. If winning is merely a spirit passed by osmosis or any other means, the world cup one is most certainly circling in their home country. Putting aside fantasy, fairy-tale and butterflies in the stomach talk for a minute. Can the French Women’s team follow the footsteps of the men and really go all the way? What do the facts say?

Their four winds of a possible success

1.Ici Ce France

As the famous Paris St Germain’s mantra goes, Ici Ce Paris (Here is Paris), the French team can certainly boast of the home advantage. To start with, the French Women’s national team has lost only once on home soil since January of 2016, a 1- 0 defeat at the hands of Germany in February 2019, that was a record of over 24 matches without a loss before the Germans. They have not only been winning against the less heralded and learning to be experienced nations but whoever has dared to breach their fortress. Most recently, in January of this year as the finalists played friendlies in preparation for the upcoming June tournament, Les Bleues defeated the defending champions, USWNT, 3 – 1 in Lyon. Some commentators will probably argue that the Stars and the Stripes were short of two or three star players but the reality is that’s an integral part of football. And the French just don’t joke at home. Having won the past 9/10 matches at home, you certainly cannot put it past them to win seven more. Only seven wins separate them from the world cup gold.

2. An impressively progressive history

Les Bleues have been on the up since the turn of the millennium. Just like any other newly formed team, France had to patiently wait in its grind to become one of the most consistent and dangerous opponents in Europe. They failed to qualify for the first three organized FIFA Women’s World cup beginning in 1991 as well as six UEFA European Championships. Les Bleues have since become a consistent performer and a loathed opponent on the grand stage who have reached two of the three quarter-finals of the UEFA competition since 2000. In that same period, they also qualified for their first FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament in 2003, though failing to reach the same finals in 2007, they returned with a bang and recorded their best ever finish in the 2011 tourney. After defeating England on penalties in the quarter-finals, they came up short against USWNT in the semi-final who dismissed them 3-1 to book a final against eventual winners, Japan. One year later, they proved that their world cup exploits were no fluke as their reached the semi-finals of the 2012 London Summer Olympics again losing 2-1 to one of the big girls, Japan, in the semis. In the most recent world cup 2015 held in Canada, they were deluded of a semi-final berth after agonizingly losing 4-5 on penalties to the 2011 hosts, Germany in the quarters.

This brief journey into the history of women’s French football does tell us that they don’t choke on the big stage and a team that has been on the up since inception. They are yet to reach a world cup final, and there is no better place to do that or better yet win the tournament other than in their own backyard. Their current 4th placement on the FIFA Women’s Global Football teams ranking is no given and they will be eager to prove once more, that they bring the big game!

3. Momentum stemming from the pre-tourney friendlies

More often than not, success on grand stages hinges on momentum, passion and experience. We are guaranteed that France will not be short of any passion given their hunger for more substantial success and silverware while being backed by a home crowd who believe they can, having seen their male counterparts wing it in the 2018 Men’s FIFA World Cup in Russia. As for the experience, we will learn more of that a little later on.

The winds of momentum are also blowing full strength into their sails. Of the nine friendly matches played since September 2018 in preparation for the world up, France have won eight, losing only once to Germany. In that time, they scored a total of 31 goals and conceded only 4. Surely, you can understand their prospects much better now. They are no minnows, perhaps the favorite of favorites. Even more, among those defeated, are some of the successful and recent winners of the women’s world cup, USWNT and Japan with a 3-1 score-line against both. The heaviest wins were against Cameroon and Uruguay, scoring 6 goals in each match with no reply. Les Bleus are expected to blow away Thailand and China PR on the 25th and 31st of May as they close off a more than thorough and impressive world cup warm-up campaign.

4. The golden generation

It’s a thing in football, maybe in every other team sport. Time and time again, talented individuals are combined to form a competitive unit. However, of all the units assembled, there is that one which many onlookers refer to as the “golden generation.” That one has not just talented but exceptionally talented individuals. It became apparent at the 2013 UEFA Women’s Euro in Sweden where Les Bleus breezed past Spain, England and Russia to gain a first class entry into the quarter-finals. In the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup hosted by Canada, they were considered favorites and defeated England, 1-0 in their opening match. All of USWNT, Japan and England means they have gotten one over most of highly ranked teams in the tournament in recent years. Even defeating the first two, earlier this year as alluded in the preceding paragraphs.

They are known to play an attractive brand of football punctuated by dominating possession and yes, scoring loads of goals. Just as their men who emphatically lifted the world cup gold in 2018, the women too have benefited from France’s immigration laws that have overtime allowed them to assemble teams of individuals whose descent may not necessarily be French. The winning men’s team is a golden generation with the likes of Golden Boy Winner, Kylian Mbappe and a host of massively talented footballers playing in Europe’s best teams. In the same vein, there is also an equal chance that the women’s golden generation could be crowned champions in Lyon, come July 2019.

Endowed with the spirit of Lyon

This one, is more than just a factor of four as to why the Women’s World Cup gold may be heading to France. It is an entire spirit, a stand-alone pillar for Les Bleus’ world cup title bid.

Here’s a bit of trivia. The best group of players assembled anywhere in any sport at this juncture is inarguably Olympique Lyonnais Feminin. After winning their fourth successive UEFA Champions League title a few weeks ago, a sixth crown in 10 years, if they don’t personify dominance, nothing will. Real Madrid won three Champions League titles in a row but sucked domestically, the Golden State Warriors could win their third straight NBA Championships and the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl thrice in five years – but they all don’t come close to Lyon’s Women football team. Other than their European dominance, they have ridiculously won the French national title, 13 times in a row. They are just way too good and the best there is.

Now, guess what the feature city and stadium of the 2019 World Cup is? Stade de Lyon in Lyon. Possibly the mother city of women’s football around the globe. Check out the fixtures to be hosted by the stadium outlined in our FT Women’s World Cup Stadium Guide. The fans in Lyon definitely know how to get behind a women’s football team and will bring that to the table in pushing Les Bleus to victory.

Furthermore, Lyon has supplied a total of seven talented and experienced players who know how to win, to the French side. That means coach Corinne Diacre can have 2/3 of her team be a replica of Lyon’s dominate side if she chooses. These seven include goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi, defenders Amel Majri, Mbock Bathy Nka and the towering Wendie Renard, the vastly experienced midfielder and captain in Amandine Henry as well as forwards Delphine Cascarino and one of the best players in the world, Eugenie Le Sommer. France is endowed with the winning spirit of Lyon from the goalkeeper right up to the attackers, not forgetting the other exceptional women playing in top leagues around Europe.

Final note

It’s definitely game on and lights off for many who will come up against Les Bleus. But whether they will stand tall on the podium after all is said and done especially in the presence of the unrelenting USWNT, Japan, Germany and England – it remains somewhat a mystery.

France will kick-off their world cup campaign with a group game against the 11th ranked South Korea on the 7th of June before squaring off with the Ada Hegerberg-less Norway five days later. They will close off the group stage with Africa Women Cup of Nations champions and record-winners, Nigeria on the 12th of June in Rennes.

Women’s FIFA World Cup: Group A, “The Group of Death”

We're nearing the start of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, which gets underway in France on June 7 and features 24 teams vying for the title. Hosts France get the competition under way with their opening group match against South Korea in Paris. The hosts are No. 4 in on world the rankings and will have the home crowd behind them, as they try to duplicate their fellow men’s side, Les Bleus’ title triumph in Russia last year and live up to high expectations in the pool that pundits, arguably, called as “Group of Death”, comprising of the hosts France, Norway, Korea Republic and Nigeria. Below we zoom into Group A of the women’s world cup and analyze each team’s chances of progressing to the next stage of the tournament.

France

As the hosts of the tournament, Les Bleues will be expected to pick up on the momentum left behind by the men's French team, with the host nation eyeing the highest honor in football by winning the tournament on home turf. The women’s team's best finish on the world stage was fourth place in the 2011 edition and they will be looking to up that in next month’s event.

The French team is one of the most talented teams in the world. The team boasts of a number of players that can rival the much fancied sides and bring the trophy home provided they (France) play their best football. Amongst these players are Wendie Renard and Dephine Cascarino. The former is considered to be one of the best defenders in the game (her rating as the top center back in FIFA 19 says a lot). Wendie is what Virgil Van Dijk is to Liverpool: reliable. She’s quick on her feet and unbeatable in the air, which has led to her prolific scoring rate (for a defender) at both the national team and club level.

Having won every trophy on offer with her club Olympique Lyon including the Champions League, the one trophy missing in Renard’s trophy cabinet is the World Cup gold, and that should be enough motivation for her to deliver her best showing for the French team. If Renard hits top gear, she could be vital in France’s quest to become the first nation to hold both the men’s and women’s World Cup trophies at the same time. Another key player that is likely to make a big impact for France is upcoming attacking player Dephine Cascarino. The 22-year-old Lyon midfielder has impressed at club level for the past two seasons, bagging seven goals apiece for two successive seasons. While Cascarino is relatively inexperienced at a full national team level, with just 11 caps, she has 12 goals at youth World Cups, and looks to get a good chunk of playing time this summer.

Apart from these enterprising players, the experience of long-serving servant Eugenie Le Sommer cannot go unnoticed. The French forward has scored 74 goals in 159 national team appearances, including 11 World Cup goals. In front of their home crowd, coupled with the right mixture of established stars and promising young players, one could argue that this would be the right time for France to finally win a major tournament.

Norway

Norway has the most World Cup appearances in Group A, having qualified for all eight previous editions of the event. It is also the only team in the group that has won the cup, back in 1995.

Perhaps the key talking point of this Norwegian side is the absence of their star player Ada Hegerberg. Regarded as the world’s best female footballer, the 23-year old who is also the current Balon d'Or winner and three-time Champions League winner, quit the national team back in 2017, as protest for what she says is a lack of respect for female players in Norway. She has scored 38 goals in 66 caps for the national team. Norway coach Martin Sjogren said in February that the federation had "tried to solve" things between them and Hegerberg but "she decided not to play". Sjogren further added: "As a coach, you need to focus on the players who want to be a part of the team and Ada doesn't. We respect that and we have been working hard with the other players and they have been doing a great job."

With this in mind, Norway will be pinning their hopes on the current crop of players and in particular their captain Maren Majelde. The 29-year old has featured for the side for more than a decade. She’s the soul and mastermind of the team. Capable of playing in central defence, as a defensive midfielder or even as a playmaker, Marelde’s sheer vision, dead-ball skills and charisma are key assets for Norway leading up to the World Cup. Apart from Marelde, players like defender Maria Thorisdottir and forward Caroline Graham Hansen are also expected to play a pivotal role in Norway’s quest for glory.

South Korea

South Korea qualified for their second straight Women’s World Cup after finishing fifth at the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian cup. This will be South Korea’s third appearance in the world cup. They were eliminated in the group stages in 2003 and only made it as far as the round of 16 in 2015. The Koreans kick off their world cup campaign against hosts France on June 7, knowing very well that a win will boost their chances of coming out of the group stages.

On paper at least, the odds are on the women from Seoul to get knocked out in the group stages. The 14th ranked South Korea is the proverbial dark horse in Group A after a lackluster performance in tournaments leading to the World Cup, most recently the Asian Cup. Nonetheless, South Korea’s powerful weapon in France would be its defense, as it did not concede a single goal in all its matches in the 2018 Women’s Asian Cup. One game that may provide the team with a lifeline of qualifying to the next stages could be their second game where they face off against Nigeria. The Africans are ranked 38th in the world, 24 places below the Koreans. Being a tactical team, South Korea’s ability to keep the ball and wear down their opposition with a possession-based style of football, could be key to South Korea’s any realistic chances of progressing further to the knockout stages.

While the Korean team face an uphill task to qualify to the knockout stages, they can still have a couple of key players they can rely on. These include Chelsea’s playmaker Ji So-Yun, who is the biggest star in the team. Credited with 54 goals in 115 appearances, she’s easily the most prolific Korean player. The 29-year-old was named the PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year for the 2014-15 season, her debut season in England. Apart from Ji So-Yun, South Korea will also be banking their hopes on talented youngster, Son Hwa-Yeon to help the team. Overall, the odds are definitely stacked against the Koreans and they are easily deemed as the underdogs of this group. Nonetheless, all that will count for nothing as football has taught in the past that anything is possible and by virtue of that, one can count this South Korean side out at their own peril.

Nigeria

Nigeria booked the ticket to France by winning the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the ninth time. The Falcons will open their campaign against 1995 winners Norway on 8 June. The nine-time African champions will then play South Korea in Grenoble on 12 June before facing hosts France on 17 June in Rennes. The West Africans hold the record of being the only African nation to have qualified for every Women's World Cup since it began in 1991. However, they have failed to translate their continental dominance on the world stage, with their best showing coming only during the USA world cup in 1999 where Nigeria reached the quarter-finals. Since then, they have failed to go beyond the group stages in the last four editions in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015. Coach Thomas Dennerby will therefore be hoping that the team break its duck and advance further in the competition.

As expected in any team, Nigeria boasts of a number of players that will be crucial if the team’s hopes of winning the tournament are anything to go by. One of these players is FC Barcelona striker and three-time African footballer of the year, Asisat Oshoala. She exploded to the scene back in 2014, winning both the Adidas Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards as Nigeria reached the finals of the FIFA under-20 Women’s World cup. Voted the best African player in 2014, 2016 and 2017, the powerful and aggressive striker is pivotal to the Super Falcons’ attacking potent/arsenal.

Apart from Oshoala, the leadership experience of team captain Onome Ebi will prove crucial to Nigeria’s push for the coveted trophy. Nigeria’s 2018 player of the year, Ebi, was an important figure as Nigeria recorded a title-winning success at the 2018 African Women's Cup of Nations in Ghana. All in all, the Super Falcons’ ninth title win in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is enough proof that Nigeria is a threat to the hosts.

Both Norway and Nigeria are among the select band of teams never to have missed a single FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Norwegians have played a total of 35 matches in the competition, and the Nigerians 22. In contrast, France have only 14 matches to their name and Korea Republic a mere 7. Whether the experience (or lack thereof) will be a difference maker remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, Group A certainly has all the sparks and recipes to be an electrifying group!

The group winners and runners up are guaranteed round of 16 berth, whereas the third placed team will only progress if it happens to be one of the four best third placed teams in the tournament.

The US may be the favorites, but who could prevent them from winning back to back?

France 2019 — the stage is set for FIFA Women’s World Cup; 24 teams gear up to lead their nations to world cup glory. The US come into the tournament as the team to beat. USA National Women’s Soccer team have become synonymous with world-class football, winning the World Cup a record three times since its inception in 1991. The US are deadly opponents, they play with rigor, determination, and with the intention of dominating the game, which has set them apart as the best team in the world over time.

This World Cup is set to deliver high-level performances not only from the US but from the other teams on the roster. The major competition for the US comes from England, France, Germany and Japan who have all recorded standout performances in the leading up to the 2019 FIFA World Cup, putting them among the favorites to win the title and dethrone the US women from their long-held position as the best team in the world.

Home field advantage—France

Host nation France has a legitimate chance to claim the title and replicate what the French men’s team did in Russia which was nothing short of magnificent. The stage is set for French women’s team to make history and follow the men’s team to keep the title in France come June. France’s squad is made up of talented and experienced players. Les Bleues will be banking on the expertise of Lyon forward and captain Eugénie Le Sommer who has scored 250 goals for her club and 74 for the French national team, to lead the team to their first World Cup title. France have a moral advantage in that as the host nation, they will have the support of large crowds at their games which will give the team the momentum and confidence that will have an impact of their performance on the field. Home ground advantage is powerful, Russia made the most of it last year; when most wouldn’t have predicted such an outstanding performance from the Russians, they put one of the most  memorable performances of the tournament, even eliminating the acclaimed Spaniards.

Coming from a major victory—England

England is the birthplace of football, yet both the women’s and men’s teams have not been successful in translating that legacy into the modern game by claiming the title of world champions. This could be the year that the title of world champions finds its way to England. They do not possess the same decorated world cup history as the US but the Lionesses made a case for their title chances when they won the SheBelieves tournament in March 2019, beating Japan 3-0 in the cup final. Having been grouped together with Argentina, Japan and Scotland, England has a tough challenge ahead, however, they remain favorites to progress to the knockout stage along with Japan. Still riding on the momentum from the win, the Lionesses come into this World Cup with newfound confidence and verve that if combined with the right tactical strategy from coach Phil Neville, they could have an edge in the group stages and in the knockout rounds.

The tactical advantage — Germany

Germany are eight-time European champions and two-time world cup winners. In the qualifying campaign for France 2019, Germany scored 35 goals and conceded only 3 times. Die Nationalelf are ranked second behind the US coming into the tournament and are the second most obvious contender for the world cup despite not having won the title since 2007. The Germans should progress with ease from the group stages where they face much lower ranked teams - China, Spain and newcomers South Africa.

Germany is a holistic team— they are both defensively tight and masters at creating and converting chances into goals. In 2015 they finished as the top goal-scoring team with 20 goals followed by the US who managed 14 goals. The US and Germany are always the top two teams on the FIFA rankings, alternating for the number 1 spot. The qualifiers have shown that the German machine is on form and delivering in the accuracy and organisation that they have come to be known for.

Two-time finalists — Japan

After appearing in two consecutive World Cup finals in 2011 and 2015, winning in 2011, Japan cannot be left out of this list. They are very familiar with the world cup stage and always leave it all on the field even as they demonstrated in the 2011 and 2015 finals. In 2018 they secured a second AFC Women's Asian Cup against Australia.  Japan has a solid record in the World Cup which they will be looking to extend by becoming the first team to be in three consecutive finals.  

Japan has a young and talented squad led by Lyon defender Saki Kumagai whose performance this past season earned her a nomination for BBC’s Player of the Year alongside teammate Ada Hegerberg. In March, Japan beat out Brazil and USA to make to the SheBelieves Cup final, despite missing key players like Sakaguchi Mizuho and Miyake Shiori who had to sit out due to injuries. Japan will face England in the group stages as well as Scotland and Argentina, a tough challenge but may not be a roadblock for Nadeshiko.

The US football team embodies what it means to dominate a sport through and through, they have the trophies to prove it. England, France, Japan and Germany have the World Cup experience and track records that make them all worthy title contenders. Will the US add a fourth world cup title and extend their reign as the most decorated football team in world cup history? — All will be decided in France.

FT 2019 Women's World Cup Stadium Guide

Overview

As for the month of June starting from the 7th all through to the 7th of July, football is poised to be the biggest tourist attraction in the European nation of France. Not just any football but the 8th edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. A total of 24 nations from the continents of the globe will get a chance to tour and play across nine of the most scenic and historically rich venues and cities in the French nation. Those not privileged enough to take a trip to France will have all the 52 matches brought to them live, in the comfort of their homes by several service providers depending on where they are. It’s perhaps the biggest football spectacle of the year, expected to attract peoples of all colors, creeds, religions and ages, just as the men’s tournament did in June 2018 where France emerged as the overall winner.

Furthermore, women’s sports and events have been growing exponentially over the years, breaking barriers and claiming their rightful place as equally able entertainers and heroines. The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup will not be any different. Here is a number for you, the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup was watched by an estimated 764 million viewers. The final match between Japan and the US is said to have been watched by a whooping 23 million viewers in America alone, making it the most watched soccer match in the history of the United States of America.

In many nations, where the men’s football teams have consistently failed to perform at the highest level, the women are staking a serious claim at the biggest prizes and putting their countries on the map. It’s not only the USWNT but includes the likes of South Africa, Jamaica, Thailand, China PR, New Zealand and Norway, all of whom will participate in this year’s finals. In fact, the current best women’s player in the world is Ada Hegerberg from the small and less heralded Nordic nation of Norway. Even though Hegerberg will not be present in France 2019 for personal reasons, there is still so much more to look forward to.

All the finalists and tournament format

Below is the list of all the complete groups of the 24 finalists as drawn in December 2018. The group winners, their runner ups as well as four third placed teams with the most points will make it to the first knock-out stage of 16 teams.

Group A: France, South Korea, Norway, Nigeria

Group B: Germany, China PR, Spain, South Africa

Group C: Australia, Italy, Brazil, Jamaica

Group D: England, Scotland, Argentina, Japan

Group E: Canada, Cameroon, New Zealand, Netherlands

Group F: United States, Thailand, Chile, Sweden

The schedule of all the matches is also detailed below:

1. Group Stage (matches 1-36): June 7 – 20

2. Round of 16 (matches 37-44): June 22-25

3. Quarter-Finals (matches 45-48): June 27-29

4. Semi-Finals (matches 49-50): July 2-3

5. Third Place and World Cup Final (matches 51-52): July 6-7

Stadiums and the host cities

The nine French cities hosting the tournament have a unique blend of some of the country’s newest and oldest stadiums which us here at FirstTouch have decided to group into three categories. Their unique value offerings are obviously non-exclusive but could fall into feature, scenic and historically rich stadiums. Let’s check them out.

1. Featured stadiums

Parc Olympique Lyonnais – Lyon

Parc Olympique Lyonnais – Lyon

The main feature stadium of the 2019 tournament is Lyon’s home stadium with a capacity that is just over 59 000. It’s the biggest amongst the chosen nine, the most expensive stadium in France which costed a total of €400 million upon completion in 2016. Only the two semi-finals and the final will be hosted by the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Other than the sparkling nature of the stadium itself, Lyon as city is highly acclaimed to be the gastronomical capital of the highly gastronomic France. Foodies will be hugely satisfied in Lyon as well as by the charming neighbourhoods, historic buildings and rich culture that come along with all the gastronomy. The choice to name Parc Olympique Lyonnais as the main feature stadium of the tournament was largely in appreciation of the Lyon’s Women football team and the fans who have supported a thriving side that has dominated the whole of Europe in the last 10 years.

Parc des Princes – Paris

Many will know this as PSG’s home. The 47, 929 capacity stadium will host a total of seven world cup fixtures; five group stage matches, one round of 16 and one quarter-final. The opening match between France and South Korea will be played there and all else that is found in the French capital needs no introduction. The Eiffel Tower, the romance, history, food and culture will be available to all willing takers. It will most definitely be one of the most in-demand destinations.

2. Scenic stadiums

Stade des Alpes – Grenoble

Stade des Alpes – Grenoble

The capital of the Alps is famously known for hosting winter sports. It nears the Italian border with one of its major offerings being the ancient Bastille Fortress. The opportunities to hike the mountainous Alps or bike through the city are certainly great breakaway opportunities from just the football. Stade des Alpes itself, which is home to FC Grenoble is a state of the art facility opened in 2008, with a capacity of 20, 068 and endowed with a unique transparent roof structure.

Stade Oceane – Le Havre

Well, this one is my favorite. Stade Oceane is widely regarded as the best eco stadium amongst the nine venues. It is a state of the art 25, 278 all-seat arena endowed with a solar panelled roof that powers the entire stadium and all the water is impressively recycled. In addition, the Stade Oceane which was opened in 2012 also offers a beautifully lit up blue exterior because of the surrounding ocean as well as green spaces during the day plus gorgeous beaches.

Stade de Nice – Nice

French Ligue 1 side, OGC Nice’s home stadium is no stranger to hosting big tournaments. It was opened back in 2013, just in time for the Men’s UEFA Euro 2016 to host four matches. The Allianz Riviera can boast of being located on the sunny Cote d’Azur, one of France’s most popular destinations. The city is known to “have something for everyone,” not least the world-class casinos, scenic views of the mountains, beaches and the sea. The stadium itself will be one of the largest at the tournament, with a total capacity of something over 35 000 and it will host six matches.

Stade de Hainaut – Valenciennes

Stade de Hainaut – Valenciennes

This one nears the Belgian border and is conveniently located placed within a few hours of Brussels, Amsterdam, London, Paris and Luxembourg. Just like Lyon, it has an impeccable reputation for gastronomy and popularly known as the Athens of the North because of its artistic structures and vibe. Valenciennes FC play at the at least 25 000 capacity stadium which will host six of the 52 world cup matches.

3.Historically rich stadiums

Roazhon Park – Rennes

Voted as one of the most livable cities in the whole of France, Rennes is a lively university town with a stadium that was first constructed as early as 1912. Despite being over a 100 years old, refurbishments in 2004 and 2015 has given the close to 30, 000 capacity stadium a modern touch. Hosting a total of seven 2019 FIFA World Cup matches, fans can also expect some glorious architectures, a historic city centre as well as to relax in the city’s lovely parks, most especially the celebrated Parc du Thabor.

Stade Auguste-Delaune – Reims

Stade Auguste-Delaune – Reims

This one has been around enough to host even the 1938 World Cup. Reims is a relatively small city with plenty of Cathedrals and a few more historical buildings to explore. More famously, champagne orginated nearby and the beverage is still a major cash cow to the city’s economy. A bubbly beverage atmosphere, envelopes the city which is home to the legendary Robert Pires, a member of Arsenal’s infamous invincible squad. The grass pitch will play host to a total of six world cup matches.

Stade de la Mosson - Montpellier

Montpellier HSC’s home stadium is not as old as Roazhon nor Stade Auguste-Delaune but is home to some charming people and a vibrant culture. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea and obviously offers exclusive access to some exceptional beach views coupled with its reputation of enjoying some of the sunniest weather in the country. There are also quite a number of museums, shops and cafes to explore. It was first opened back in 1972 though completely rebuilt in preparation for the 1998 World Cup which was won by the host nation, France. The southernmost stadium amongst all the tournament hosts will host a total of five matches.

Signing Off

After all is said and done, the choice of where to go, who to follow and what to watch falls to you. A seemingly difficult choice given the unique offerings of the various host cities and stadiums. But as for us here at FirstTouch, we have been happy to share the need-to-know pieces of information regarding the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. We don’t see anything less than fireworks as the women take on the world.

Could any of the African teams shock the world?

The Total Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) comes with great anticipation and the celebration of the continent’s women who have thrived in soccer. After we have given the medals and sang the national anthems on the day of the final match. We might all know that one of the objectives of the Total Africa Women’s Cup of Nations is not just to determine the champion, but to select the three teams that will represent the continent in the Women’s World Cup. In this 2019 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup; Nigeria, South Africa and Cameroon will be there to show the world what Africa has to offer.

In our previous article, we gave an analysis of how each of these teams have been preparing for this grand challenge. The questions that are still lingering in most of our minds is; with all these preparations that are taking place, could the world just be pleasantly shocked by what Africa can bring to the table? Could this be the year that brings a fresh perspective on how the world views Africa? Before we get into what the teams might eventually come up with, it would be prudent to begin by analysing the starting place of each team which is how they performed at the 2018 AWCON, the current odds and what they might just shock with. Even beyond that, we want to explore the bigger conversation about the necessity and relevance of predicting how teams will perform at a tournament way before the matches begin.

Nigeria

Since 1991, the Super Falcons have never missed any World Cup. They will be appearing in the Women’s World Cup for the 8th time. As expected, this has come after the team has won the AWCON Cup, a staggering 11 times out of 12. Even in 2018, the Super Falcons did not disappoint as they still snatched the title from South Africa by a 4-3 scoreline. Even though the fortunate and timely winning only came by a “lottery” penalty shoot-out, it still allowed the celebration to fall on the West African side. Some critics claim that Nigeria’s performance in the AWCON was not up to standard with some moments where it could even be doubted that they would win this year. Regardless of that view, others still believed that some Nigerian players still did well during the tournament with Asisat Ashoala scoring the second highest number of goals in the tournament and Tochukwu Oluehi getting the best goalkeeper award. These are the players that will still be in the World Cup squad in France. The different opinions then inform the predictions of how these ladies may perform on the upcoming tournaments.

Despite the multiple World Cup appearances, it looks like the Super Falcons’ dominance is only constricted within the African continent. The most devastating results came in China 1991 and 2013 in the United States where none of the team’s efforts resulted in a goal. They could not get even a single goal throughout the tournament.  The Super Falcons did finish in the top 8 in the 1999 World Cup which still remains their highlight today. With such an unimpressive track record, what are the odds that this year might be the year that the team wipes the tears of all Nigerians who have wept since 1991? That is a difficult question to respond to because it is really hard to pin down the challenges behind the Super Falcons’ disappointing performance at an international level. It might be the pressure that comes with knowing what is at stake, the strength of the other teams or just the inevitable losses that come with any sport. Some analysts attribute these losses to the fact that some of these players are not fit enough and the team has not worked on their playing system. Those arguments were valid before the current coach Thomas Dennerby joined the team and moved a couple of things around.

Recent predictions of who is most likely going to win the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup; USA, France and Germany were at the top of that list. After scrolling down and down the list, the Nigerian team finally appeared as the 20th most likely team to win the World Cup. This is, by the way, the most likely team amongst the three African teams that will be present. The probability score that was assigned to them was 250/1. In short, very few people, if any at all believe that the Super Falcons are likely going to win the World Cup. But that is exactly what will make it a shock, right? If a team with such a low prediction does not only rise to the top but carries the title home, the world could be pleasantly surprised.

Asisat Oshoala who is a star player of the Nigerian team and plays for Barcelona was quoted saying, “In football anything is possible. We are a team in progress and we will surely spring surprises during the World Cup.”

South Africa

After standing just one goal away from taking the AWCON cup home, Banyana Banyana will be attending the Women’s World Cup for the first time. As it can be assumed of a debut appearance, it has been predicted that South Africa is least likely going to win. Actually, out of the 24 teams that will be there, South Africa is considered as the 22nd most likely team, just above Jamaica and Thailand. What we cannot overlook though, is that after the AWCON, South Africa is armed with the Best Player in Africa and top goal scorer of that tournament, Thembi Kgatlana. Beyond that award, and of course, the silver medals, a couple of other South African players also got awards for scoring goals at the tournament. After carrying the team to the finals, we cannot dismiss the possibility of her doing the same at the World Cup this June.

I moved around asking for people’s opinions and one respondent said, “South Africa might not have the experience and many key players, but what they have is a united front. Just like Croatia, they might just shock the world.” In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, there were other renowned and presumably more deserving teams like Germany and Portugal, but Croatia silenced all skeptics and made it to the finals. History and fate might just collaborate to bring the same for South Africa. Even though South Africa have not often participated at the international level, they have proactively sought opportunities to get this kind of exposure before the tournament commences. In April, they had a match with Jamaica who will also be at the World Cup. Banyana have played other teams like the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States in an attempt to get experience. They will face Norway on the 2nd of June 2019 to get a final sense of their readiness. But really, to what extent does experience matter? Would South Africa’s lack of international experience work against them?

None of the teams that have won the World Cup since its inception in 1991 did so on their first attempt. The United States which has won the World Cup three times have been there since the beginning. There is a unique kind of value and lesson that can only come by being in the heat of the international pressure that comes with such a tournament. Sometimes, not even an international friendly game can give a taste of what it feels like, which is South Africa’s reality. Experience cannot really be substituted. We cannot fully anticipate what their performance will be like, but we are always behind our teams regardless of how low the odds could be.

Cameroon

After beating Mali 4-2 in the third-place play-off match last year, the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon secured their place in this year Women’s World Cup. Just like all the other African teams, the team is also anticipated to perform poorly at the upcoming tournament and has been given a probability score of 500/1 which is the same as South Africa. They appear as the 21st most likely to lift the trophy. Given that the Cameroonians will be appearing for the second time in the tournament, they have had some lessons to incorporate from the 2015 edition where they went as far the round 16.

Unlike Banyana Banyana, this team has not had enough opportunities to explore a lot of international opportunities during the preparation stage for the tournament. They have prepared mainly through domestic means which is a method that has been criticised for its inability to represent the reality of tournaments as big as the World Cup. Even though that might be true, we cannot escape that some countries do not have enough resources to prepare their teams to the desired levels. Cameroon has, however, participated in the Chinese Four-nation tournament where they came second to China. That is something impressive on its own. It might not be all the necessary exposure, but it did give the team an idea of what to expect. They expect to seal their preparations with a friendly match against Spain later this May. Their forward Njoya Ajara who has been making waves recently, says she is optimistic that they will do better this year. In spite of how optimistic teams can be, they still face a lot of negativity from the outside world. This then raises a question, that if all teams have qualified for a certain tournament, is it necessary to then predict how they will perform? In whose best interest are these predictions?

Are predictions necessary and helpful?

It has become a tradition that before any major tournament or game, sports pundits would dedicate time to predicting the outcome of that tournament. The Women’s World Cup has not been excluded from that tradition. The challenge with predictions is that they perpetuate pre-tournament stereotypes. Predictions label teams as winners and losers even before they are given a chance which could affect the team’s motivation. I cannot begin to imagine what must be in the Thailand training sessions after they have been declared as the least team that could possibly win this title. After a team has gone through the hustles of qualifying for the tournament, they are implicitly told they are not good enough. We cannot even be sure of the effect of such stereotypes on the objectivity of some decisions on the field of play. There are difficult moments like when a goal has to be validated or a foul has to be considered, knowing how a team is viewed can have an effect of the outcome of the decision.

However, it would also be blindly optimistic of us to assume that all teams in a certain tournament have an equal chance. Such a stance could be undermining the role of data. Predictions are based on teams’ previous performances, which cannot be ignored. They are not necessarily based on any ill intentions, but the aim is to raise awareness and excitement about the game. In fact, such predictions can be the reason why fans watch the games to see if they are being verified. After all, this article is also predicting a future which is a bit different from what the rest of the world is anticipating.

Conclusion

The three teams that will represent Africa are not there by coincidence or mistake. They were at the top of the AWCON because they worked hard, re-strategised quickly and learned fast even in the midst of the championship battle. There seems to be a bigger barrier when it comes to the World Cup which might be because of the way they are perceived by the rest of the world. It might also be because of real technicalities that they will need to work on to be on top of their game. Whatever the challenge might be, a bit of optimism here and there is always useful which is something that all the teams have in common. For Nigeria, this is when the experience they have gotten over the years might propel the Super Falcons to fly higher. To South Africa, nobody said small and new beginnings cannot explode to impressive success. Cameroon, the reason why you are at the World Cup again is that the first one was not enough to expose your greatness, here is another chance. Nobody knows, but could any of the African teams shock the world?

6 Women We Can't Wait to See at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Less than a year after the French celebrated lifting the 2018 FIFA World Cup trophy in Russia, we are bracing ourselves for another global tournament. This time, the Women’s World Cup is hosted by France and is promising to be another one to remember. A total of 24 teams from 6 federations will participate in FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019. Out of those, Africa is represented by Nigeria, Cameroon and South Africa. Of course, we are going to witness the likes of Asisat Oshoala and Thembi Kgatlana showcasing their talents against the world’s best players on the 6th of June. The only downside though would be the absence of the current best player in women’s football, Ada Hegerberg. Nonetheless, I am not discouraged as there are 6 other top players that I look forward to watching in action in this upcoming tournament. Here’s my list in no particular order.

1. Wendie Renard

If you have been following women’s football, you would know that there is one team that has been dominating the European scene which is Lyon. Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, as they are officially called, appeared in their 8th UEFA Women’s Champions League final since 2010 when they matched up against Barça Women on the 18th of May 2019. The Barcelona Women sought to end Lyon’s dominance only to receive a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of their French counterparts. The headlines shouted Ada Hegerberg, an expected blockbuster name, but little attention was paid to the people behind her. Specifically, the Lyon captain Wendie Renard.

Wendie Thérèse Renard is a central defender who was born in Schœlcher, Martinique. Ever heard of it? Me neither. Howbeit, she represents the French national team and also happens to be the skipper. These leadership qualities remind me of French legend Lilian Thuram who played for Barcelona. Wendie Renard’s contribution to her squads’ success has been immense. Her never-give-up attitude brings memories of a certain Chelsea legend, John Terry, who was famous for putting his life in the line for his team. Wendie Renard is not scared to dive into a challenge or throw her body to block a ball from going into the back of the net.

It is these qualities that have become rare to find in modern football where players are becoming more technically gifted and a little less rough about the defensive work. But not Wendie though. Wendie is a beast. That 4-1 win against Barcelona, a competent European team proficient in banging goals, shows her resilience as the leader of the backline. Her command built an impenetrable wall at the back and was unlucky to concede a consolation on the 89th minute at the hands of the Nigerian international, Asisat Oshoala. Imagine this passion and desire for the game being shared with a star-studded French team. Could Wendie Renard prove to be the key? That question would have to be answered later after assessing the next player.

2. Asisat Oshoala

That’s right. We jump ship next to the very person that could only manage to score against Wendie Renard in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final between Barcelona Women and Olympique Lyonnais Féminin. Asisat Oshoala has been a global phenomenon. She has represented some of the best clubs in the world starting at Liverpool Ladies, a brief stint at Arsenal Ladies before her current club, Barca Women. However, she also played for Dalian Quanjian FC in between her time at the London club and before the switch to Spain. Her qualities are apparent hence she’s always in demand. But who is she? And what is she capable of?

Our very own Simiso Shabangu wrote about her individual honors and how she has managed to win the Women’s African Player of the Year, BBC’s Women’s Player of the Year and was also the Most Valuable Player and highest goalscorer at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada. It seems like it’s her thing to scoop such awards at prestigious tournaments. Could we witness her fighting her way to the top again in a couple of days when the FIFA Women’s World Cup commences on the 6th of June, 2019?

About her on-field style, Asisat Oshoala is a ruthless forward capable of scoring from anywhere. Her debut goal for FC Barcelona Femení, where she played on the shoulders of the Rayo defense and calmly controlled the balled in top-speed before sliding it under the onrushing goalkeeper, resembles the play of Thierry Henry who was brought in to score goals at the Blaugrana. If Nigeria are to challenge for the title, they will surely need goals from Asisat Oshoala. The 24-year-old will be leading the line with experience. I think she will definitely have a hand in all the juju on the pitch.

3. Vivianne Miedema

It is no easy feat to finish the season as the top goalscorer especially in the FA Women’s Super League table where there are clubs like Liverpool Ladies, Arsenal Ladies and Chelsea Women who are always on the lookout for the best players in the world to represent them and challenge for titles. This year, the trophy was lifted by Arsenal ladies many thanks to the top goalscorer Vivianne Miedema who scored 29 league goals in 25 matches. Across all competitions, she scored a total of 37 goals mirroring Robin Van Persie’s best season in an Arsenal shirt back in 2011/12 season. And to think, Vivianne Miedema is just 22 years old. There’s more to come from the youngster.

Hailing from the land of the Dutch, Vivianne is more than just another soccer player. Her dedication to promoting football among young girls is something worth recognition. Vivianne Miedema is a published author, having written a series of children’s books to inspire young girls to play football. She cites her family, many of whom played professionally, as her own inspiration. As such, Vivianne is a role model in her own way and sets a precedent for other women to promote women’s football. Despite her young age, Vivianne proves to be a leader.

When the Netherlands Ladies face New Zealand, Cameroon, and Canada in the group stage, they will need goals from the young center-forward. Vivianne has established herself as one of the best strikers in world football. Her track record speaks for itself, having debuted for Heerenveen in the Dutch top flight aged just 15, and going on to score 39 goals that season. That unbelievable season earned her a move to Bayern Munich where she helped them win the Bundesliga without losing a single match. Wherever she goes, success seems to follow her and she will be looking forward to maintaining the record in the world cup.

4. Lucy Bronze

Personally, there is nothing more fascinating than finding out the stories about footballers and the kind of lives they were living before the beautiful game transformed them. I cannot stop imagining how their lives would have turned out to be if they never left that low-paying job or if they had given up and just decided to never set foot on a pitch again. With Lucy Bronze, I got to know a few things about her background. She worked at Dominos at some point in her life where she enjoyed the benefits of free pizza. However, she previously stated that maths is her true calling in life, admitting that if she wasn’t a professional footballer, she would probably be an accountant.

But today, she stands as one of the best full-backs in the world. Plying her trade at Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, obviously, she has enjoyed club success. As mentioned above, their club battered Barcelona Women in the UEFA Champions League final and she was holding the right-back position. She has earned praise from England boss, Phil Neville who said, “Lucy Bronze is the best player in the world. Write that down, print that, because she is.” It is expected that such statements are made by your own coach right before a major tournament to boost the confidence of their players. Lucy Bronze will be participating in the upcoming competition for her nation England although she is half-Portuguese. But how does she play?

Coincidentally, Lucy Bronze very-much plays like Gary Neville, her current boss’ brother. The Manchester United Legend was popular for his precision in defense and the odd tough tackles when called upon. No wonder the England boss feels like she is the best player as she resembles a player who has gone down as one of the best in the English Premier League. Lucia Roberta Tough "Lucy" Bronze will be ready to do her defensive duties for England and her versatility to play anywhere across the backline and the midfield will come in handy in case of emergency.

5. Thembi Kgatlana

Another one of the headliners playing at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France is Thembi Kgatlana from South Africa. Like Asisat Oshoala, Thembi Kgatlana is an African jewel. No wonder the battle for the CAF Women’s Player of the Year 2018 was a close tie between the two. In the end, the South African walked away with it and deservedly so. Thembi Kgatlana shined for Banyana Banyana at the 2018 African Cup of Nations finals where she scored a total of 5 goals, the most of any player at the tournament.

Margaret Mandeya describes Thembi Kgatlana as a dynamic and fast forward. I could not agree more. Her goal against Nigeria in the 2018 African Cup of Nations group stage match reminded me of a certain player that played for Barcelona under Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola. Her technique in possession of the ball and the ability to bolt past defenders is a reflection of Samuel Eto’o at his best. Thembi Kgatlana’s parents must be proud to see their daughter making headlines after being reluctant at some point to allow their dear child to play a sport that wasn’t popular especially down south. Now, Thembi is a role model for many African women who desire to play football as she has challenged the perception of soccer as a sport reserved for men.

Banyana Banyana qualified for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals. This means that all eyes are going to be on Thembi to not only replicate her performances at the previous AFCON tournament but also to eventually win a trophy after they narrowly missed out in the 2018 Total Women’s African Cup of Nations. A tough ask, this is going to be as they face Spain, China, and Germany in their pathway before the knockout round. Surely, the 23-year old will have to bring her A-game and fire Banyana Banyana to the next round. This presents an opportunity for the young forward to test herself against the world’s best. If she sustains the pressure at this stage, Thembi Kgatlana will surely have a shoutout at the next Ballon d'Or ceremony. Too ambitious? Watch the tourney and tell me if I am wrong.

6. Marta

Arguably the greatest female player of all time, Marta Vieira da Silva is 33 years old going into the Women’s World Cup. She is a 6-time FIFA Player of the Year winner. The merits have not come by coincidence because Marta is an intelligent forward that resembles the Brazilian samba flair seen in the likes of Neymar who plays for PSG and the likes of Ronaldinho and Pele who played in the past. She tops it off with a killer instinct when through on goal.  I cannot forget an iconic goal she scored at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup against the USA. Words cannot fully capture the scenes in the stadium when Marta flicked the ball with her back heel, subtracting one defender in the turn before chopping the last defender with a snakebite trick. The rest, you have to find out for yourself on YouTube.

Apart from that, Marta seems to be aging like fine wine. At 33 years old, she was recently voted as the Most Valuable Player by her teammates when she moved to Orlando Pride in the United States. The same can be said about Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Sweden who is making the right noises in the Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy after a blistering career across Europe. Marta resembles Zlatan in so many ways including the hunger for success. The player still feels capable of replicating her form in the previous tournaments and hopefully, she can prove the analysts wrong. Brazil is predicted to have an underwhelming tournament thanks to the 20-1 odds placed on their chances to win the competition.