12 National Teams that would have shined in 2020

Algerian national team celebrates winning the AFCON 2019 in Egypt

Image Credits: France 24

National pride is always at stake when players kit up into their national colors during major tournaments and international friendlies. National teams that shone in 2019 made a mark in international competitions and caught our attention.

The year 2019 was a great footballing year with massive tournaments including the FIFA Women’s World Cup which impressed with its biggest audience ever and the Africa Cup of Nations. In the group of teams that made an impression, others were fan favorites in the tournaments while some teams were surprise packages in the various games played during the year. Here’s a list of 12 nation men’s and women’s teams you should be following in 2020.

Men’s Teams

Algeria

Algeria won the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 29 years, conceding no more than 3 goals during the tournament. Their best performance before 2019 was in 2010 when they finished fourth in the competition. After a 29-year hiatus from the title, the Desert Foxes finally lifted the trophy led by Manchester City forward Riyad Mahrez. They were outside favourites from the start but put together a stellar performance against Senegal to win their group. They beat Guinea in the last 16 and also dismissed Cote d’Ivoire in the knockout rounds.

The World Cup qualifiers which were drawn in January set up the groups for qualifiers in which Algeria drew Niger, Burkina Faso and Djibouti putting them in a fairly comfortable position to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The qualifiers which will be played in mini-league format with both home and away games will start in October with Algeria launching their campaign for a spot against Djibouti. Only one team in each of the ten groups announced by FIFA will reach the last qualification round for Qatar 2022.

Qatari national team celebrate winning the 2019 Asian Cup

Image Credits: Al Jazeera

Qatar

Qatar won the Asian Cup against Japan in China in an unprecedented final showcase. They stunned four-time champions Japan 3-1 in the final to lift their maiden title at the continental tournament. The Qatari National team was an expected winner of the Asian Cup. They have come up to be the best team in Asia after being underestimated as a second class team. In their campaign, they knocked out Iraq, South Korea, The UAE and Saudi Arabia in the group stages. As World Cup hosts in 2022, Qatar have automatic qualification to the global tournament but have proven that they are a team to be watched as they prepare for their debut on the world stage. From being a team that was considered lowly they have upped the ante and more can be expected from the 2022 World Cup host nation.

Kosovo

During the 2020 Euro qualifiers, not many would have paid any attention to Kosovo, the tiny Eastern European nation which only gained its independence from Serbia recently in 2008, making it one of the youngest nations in the world. Kosovo were inches away from a historic moment when they played in the Euro-2020 qualifiers but lost to England. They were undefeated in 14 games and made it to the playoffs of the tournament, a fact that many would have scoffed over against North Macedonia. Due to the international political crisis, some players like Xherdan Shaqiri opted to play for their immigrant countries despite being from the Kosovan background. Kosovo is on the verge of rewriting its story after making their mark on the footballing world and definitely grabbing the attention of fans across the world.

“Despite the armed conflict in the country, the game has continued to develop in the country and may be on the edge of reaping the rewards of their determination and perseverance. Nosour Qasioun came close to qualifying for the 2018 edition and this time around they find themselves in a better position to accomplish the task.”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

Sadio Mane celebrates scoring a goal at World Cup 2018 against Japan

Image Credits: Getty Images

Senegal

Aliou Cissé’s men finished second behind a well organized Algeria, coming close to their first ever AFCON title. Although beaten by Algeria in the second group match and winning all the subsequent games after that, they made it to the finals led by Liverpool talisman and 2019 CAF Best African Player of the Year, Sadio Mane. In a match that pulled brilliant saves from both goalies to extend the game into extra-time, they knocked out Tunisia in the semifinals to make it to the AFCON finals for only the second time. Sadly, for the West African nation, they could not overcome the Algerians. The Teranga Lions were drawn into a favorable group ahead of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers alongside Congo-Brazzaville, Namibia and Togo, the latter being a shadow of the side that qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Senegal also played to a 1-1 draw to Brazil in a friendly in October during the Brazil International tour, a testament to the formidable side they’ve developed into.

Syria

Syria are on the verge of an early ticket into the 2022 World Cup. Their qualifying campaign has seen them win consecutive games in Group A of the Asian qualifiers. They lead the group in which there is Philippines, China, Guam and Maldives. The war torn Asia country is an unlikely group leader at this point with higher ranked countries such as Iran and South Korea lagging in second and third in their respective groups. Despite the armed conflict in the country, the game has continued to develop in the country and may be on the edge of reaping the rewards of their determination and perseverance. Nosour Qasioun came close to qualifying for the 2018 edition and this time around they find themselves in a better position to accomplish the task.

Mardek Mrdkian #17 of Syrian competes the ball with Yu Yang #4 of China during the 2018 CFA Team China International Football match between Chinese national team and Syrian national team at Nanjing Olympic Sports Center on October 16, 2018 in Nanjing, China.

(Oct. 15, 2018 - Source: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images AsiaPac)

Madagascar

Madagascar was a surprise qualifier for AFCON but proved that they had more than earned their spot, causing some upsetting exits for the big teams in the tourney. The Barea which has poor sports infrastructure beat the odds to make their debut at AFCON, a proud moment for the island nation. During the group stages, Madagascar beat Nigeria 2-0 and Burundi 1-0 while drawing against Guinea 2-2 to top the group. In the Round of 16, Madagascar drew against DR Congo and went on to qualify for the quarter-finals on penalties. Based on their performance at AFCON, it is evident that there is still more to come from the Barea. 

Ukraine

Ukraine directly qualified for Euro 2020 ahead of Portugal after a historic 2-1 win in Lisbon to top the group. They won six games and drew two out of the eight they played to qualify for the tournament. Ukraine’s coach is former AC Millan and Chelsea and Ballon d’Or winner Andriy Shevchenko who has coached the team since 2016. Ukraine resembled a well organised team in the qualifiers and got a reward of their labors by managing to accomplish an enormous feat. This was only the third time that the East European country qualified for Euros having appeared twice, once as hosts in 2012, and in 2016 when they beat Slovenia in the play-offs.

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)

Women’s Teams

Italy

A resurgent Italy Women’s team sparked excitement for millions of Italians as they progressed to the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup. La Azzure won their group ahead of Brazil and made it to the quarterfinals after being absent from the tournament for 20 years. They beat China 2-0 in the round of 16 but succumbed to eventual finalists the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. Their performance, however, inspired support from Italian fans with over 30 million tuning in to watch their game against Brazil, contributing to the changing of biased perceptions in the country against women in the sport. Italy leads group B with the most points in the qualifiers of the 2021 Euros.

England

Phillip Neville’s England put up a commendable performance during the France World Cup but were unfortunately knocked out of the semi-finals by the USWNT. England’s squad bosted a star-studded line-up that included Lyon defender and UEFA Women’s player of the year, Lucy Bronze. Despite falling short of their ambitions of bringing the title to England and finishing fourth after losing the third-place playoff to Sweden, their overall performance is something that they can be proud of. England will defend their SheBelieves title in March during the invitational tournament comprising of USWNT, Japan and Spain who will make their tournament debut.

USWNT

We cannot fail to mention the great performance by the US Women’s National Team as they embarked to defend their title. They did so in an exciting way and they will continue to be a team we will look out for this coming year. Co-captain, Megan Rapinoe won the golden boot at 2019 the FIFA World Cup in France as they expectedly sailed through the group stages, beating hosts France in the quarter-finals to progress to the semis where they dismissed England by 2-1. USWNT will likely qualify for the Olympics when they take on Costa Rica in their first match of the CONCACAF Women’s qualifying tournament where the top two teams will qualify for Tokyo. The US are four-time Olympic gold medalists and have qualified for every edition since 1966.

Sweden

Although they did not make it to the finals, Sweden had an amazing tournament, finishing third in the World Cup and booking a place at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The pioneers of women’s football will once again launch their Olympic campaign as one of the three teams from Europe to qualify. In the run up to the Olympics, Sweden will join Portugal, Norway, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Denmark and New Zealand in the 27th edition of the Algarve invitational Cup in March as they prepare for a run at the Olympics. They are definitely amongst the favorites to take home some silverware after coming in second to Germany in the 2016 Olympics.

Alex Morgan and members of the United States Women's National Soccer Team are honored at a ceremony at City Hall on July 10, 2019 in New York City. The honor followed a ticker tape parade up lower Manhattan's "Canyon of Heroes" to celebrate their gold medal victory in the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.

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

Netherlands

The rise of the Netherlands over the years has consisted of impressive feats at every turn. Their latest show proved their status as a giant in the women’s game, coming in second to the USWNT in the 2019 World Cup. Despite the disappointment of not earning their first World Cup title, the Oranje have already qualified for the Olympics and will make their maiden appearance in the tournament alongside Great Britain and Sweden who have also qualified from Europe. The defending European champions are currently on their way to qualify for the Euro 2021 as they lead group A.

Special mentions

Ukraine and Korea U-20

The young Ukrainian team won the 2019 U-20 men’s World Cup after beating South Korea in the final to become the new generation of players for the country. Ukraine had never made it past the Round of 16. Both teams were undefeated in their run-up to the finals. Ukraine beat Panama, Colombia, and Italy to make it to the finals. South Korea had similar success, seeing off South Africa, Argentina, Japan, Senegal and then Ecuador en route to the final.

Women’s tournaments coming up in 2020 include the exciting Tokyo Olympics and major invitational tournaments alongside the qualifiers for the Euro 2021. The 2022 World Cup qualifiers will heat up towards the end of the year as we move closer to the biggest tournament in global football.

Women’s Tournaments this year

1.       Tokyo Olympics

2.       SheBelieves International

3.       Tournoi de France

4.       Algarve Cup

5.       U-20 and U-17 Women’s World Cups

6.       African Women’s Cup of Nations

Men’s Tournaments

1.       Tokyo Olympics

2.       Euro 2020

3.       Copa America

4.       CHAN 2020

“The Women in Football Leadership Programme” – a much needed breakthrough

Lack of women in leadership positions is one of the major reasons why women’s soccer is less affluent than our male counterparts. In my previous article, I did mention how FIFA could do way more than invest 1 billion into the game,

“Of course we need funding to move forward and to ultimately change the game. However, to help everyone involved, be it an established player or a simple girl with nothing but passion and dreams of brighter days playing somewhere in a village, we will need more than just funds. The longstanding lack of women in positions of responsibility in the football community has led to limited voices to advocate for change”

Well, it seems like FIFA has been one step ahead, dipping their hands right into the core. FIFA together with UEFA and  IMD formed the Women in Football Leadership Programme. The aim of this program being to empower women to take up leadership positions.

Issa Johansen, FIFA and Sierra Leone Football Chief

What the hell is this Women in Football Leadership Programme?

This great initiative by the trio has already inspired some women to assume leadership positions from all over the world.

The 2019 edition of the programme brought together 24 participants in Zurich from 18th to 20th of November 2019. FIFA along with other governing bodies have been continuously working on a common aim. The aim has been to enrich the industry with different and valuable opinions as well as backgrounds and experiences. With the achievement of this aim comes the ability to make the game as inclusive as possible to women as well as embracing diversity in gender, perspective, race, religion, and social status. The most essential goal for the achievement of the prior mentioned aim is, therefore, the representation of women in football leadership.

You all know how men always say “women are complex creatures,” which applies in football as well. No man in power can fully understand the needs of women, only a woman can. Therefore, women play vital roles in the success of organizations where women are involved, especially if the aim is to be diverse and inclusive. The genesis of this program is a win-win situation for both male and female organizations. As much as the program provides a platform for women to grow and improve their decision-making skills, it also allows them to create a balance, allowing maximum sharing of ideas and progress.

The Women in Football Leadership program seeks to use a powerful leadership training week to support the careers of women who have a great influence on the today and tomorrow of football as a game and an industry. The programme allows participants to work on and discuss aspects of leadership for continual career development. At the end of the WFLP, every participant takes home leadership skills, extended networks and strong links with other women in positions of authority as well as the confidence to set and pursue career goals.

The program includes plenary discussions, role-playing, and one-on-one coaching. Teaching and professional skills development, as well as team dynamics, are also part of the package. The training week creates a good training environment, conducive for personal, professional growth and promotion of self-awareness and team spirit in a bid to enhance leadership skills.

Victoria Conteh: First female coach to manage a Sierra Leone top flight club

Credits: Cafonline

When UEFA developed the WLFP, it aimed at women working in all areas of the football landscape not just in women’s soccer. This European governing body sought to identify individuals with leadership potential and help them develop the necessary skills through this initiative. Participants of this program are drawn from all aspects of football associations around the world. Women with various roles like independent board members, directors, performance directors, presidents, and chairwomen show up as participants.

In the 2019 edition of the programme women like Sarai Bareman (FIFA ‘s chief women’s football officer), Michele Uva (UEFA vice-president and deputy chairman of the UEFA Women’s football committee) and Ana Moura (director of the Portuguese Football Association) were present. And of course, the gospel of diversity was well implemented as we saw African football making its mark with notable women like Tsoseletso Magang (a member of the Botswana football association’s executive committee) present.

Leadership and figures before and after WFLP

Before The Women in Football Leadership Program, women lacked proper motivation and guidance to occupy positions of authority. However, in 2014, UEFA launched the programme in response to the rising concern of lack of diversity in the management of the football associations. The figures started to show an increase in the number of women in positions of authority in various associations. However, in 2014 only 5% of mid-level or top management positions were held by women.

A 2016 survey carried out in the seventh annual audit of women’s experiences on the board and in leadership roles within the national governing bodies (NGBs) of sports in England and Wales showed a huge increase in the numbers. The figures showed 30% of board positions being held by women while there was a fall from 42% in 2014 to 36% in 2016 of women in senior leadership roles. These figures falling way below the 50% borderline mark show that very few women occupy positions in national associations and there’s still room for more.

Marta;Ballon d’Or winner and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador

What more should National Governing bodies do?

So with all the programs being set up to ensure an increase in women participation in leadership roles, numbers still fall below stipulated figures. Even with this great initiative by the trio (FIFA, UEFA, and IMD) we still think there is more that can be done to enhance the program and increase our figures. The question is “what can NGBs do to enhance the WFLP and increase the figures?”

The answer to this burning question is one phrase which is also part of WLFP’s aim, “gender diversity” because believe it or not, it cannot be for women and it obviously won’t work for women if there ain’t no women in it.

Megan Rapinoe receives The Best FIFA Women's Player of the Year award by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 at Teatro alla Scala on September 23, 2019 in Milan, Italy.

(Sept. 22, 2019 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe)

This aspect of gender diversity can be broken down into various concepts that explain what needs to be done to increase our numbers. First of all, is the issue of board representation. Boards should no longer wait for positions to be vacant but should try to create a more gender-diverse board. The terms of office of longer standing board members should be brought to an end and proactively recruit, making sure equal numbers of men and women are on the shortlist.

Another notable issue is that of a decrease in the number of women in upper positions, indicating fewer women being promoted than men. Are men better at the job than women? Definitely not, women are simply fighting a system rigged against them with leadership preserved for men. NGBs should thus take steps to readdress the leadership imbalances and increase the number of women at all levels of leadership. Culture is deep-rooted and it cannot be changed overnight yes, but they can at least try, one policy at a time.

For NGBs to effectively enhance their programs, they need to be high performing modern organizations themselves. Attracting and retaining a diverse team including qualified women at all levels will allow proper sustainability of the WFLP.

Another issue is the fact that a business career in sports for women still feels less attractive. Many females see limited opportunities at senior levels as people tend to stay in roles for a long time. Despite the support being shown to women, the sports world is still male-dominated so chances of a lucrative career path become very slim. If you have watched Taraji P Henson’s movie “What Men Want, “you can definitely relate well to this point. Yes, it’s just a movie, but still drives the point home.

Capping it off

In summary what every NGB should do is to examine its constitution to get serious about all aspects of diversity, remove honorary statuses and introduce fixed term limits for board members. Recruitment based on skills required not appointment by popularity or gender should be considered.

Unfortunately, there is just so much a board can do, the rest is up to the women themselves. This brings us to the issue of self-confidence. Working in a male-dominated circle sure is intimidating as hell but believe me, if you are just as confident and passionate as they are, you will shine brighter in that skirt, queen!

Change is a process and we cannot change the system overnight but our consolation is that it is the only thing that is constant. Changing governance structures of an NGB can be difficult and controversial as highlighted by one leader,

“Unfortunately these organizations will not do it unless you tell them to do it…what you are asking people to do is vote themselves off the board…they are not going to do it.”

So there you have it folks, in conclusion, NGBs can create great programs for the inclusion of women and work to enhance them but at the end of the day, they cannot change the whole system overnight. So if you are that passionate about sports, wake up every single day and fight for that change, one policy at a time!

“...it cannot be for women and it obviously won’t work for women if there ain’t no women in it...”

— Lovejoy Tabeth Munamati, FirstTouch Africa

2019; A breakthrough year for women’s soccer

A year in review; 2019 turned out to be a rewarding year for women’s football. Milestone after milestone, the year presented the women’s game with record-breaking achievements both on and off the field and an opportunity in the form of the FIFA World Cup to gain popularity with a wider audience.

The hype around women’s football in 2019 highlighted important facts; the potential that the women’s game has to grow and claim its share of football viewership, and that the quality and appreciation for women’s football is growing. The potential of women’s football is a popular narrative but the World Cup boost made a real impact and because of the buzz that was generated, the game is set to make further leaps in the next coming years.

A viewing revolution

Wendie Renard of France celebrates after scoring her team's first goal during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France group A match between Nigeria and France at Roazhon Park on June 17, 2019 in Rennes, France.

(June 16, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

The year 2019 was a turning point for women’s football in terms of global viewership of a women’s World Cup.  According to the figures, the number of viewers that tuned in to watch approached close to double the number in 2015. Yes, twice as many eyes glued to see the world’s best players in the women’s game making it the most successful instalment of the global showcase to date. The final of France 2019 where USWNT maintained their winner takes all reputation, was watched by 82.18 million live viewers. The average live audience over 52 games was 17.27 million per match, a 106% increase from 2015. The group stages viewership increased by 124%. The spike in the number of people tuning in to watch the tournament is testament that perceptions are changing and the start of something new.

It is a great representation of the capability of women’s football to develop in the future as with each tournament the bar is raised with the viewership ratings and level of competition on a global stage. The women’s World Cup has come a long way since inception from a tournament of just 12 teams in 1998. FIFA announced that the tournament will expand from the 24 team format to a 32 team tournament which will give more football associations an opportunity to qualify and boost their local football. Countries like Jamaica and South Africa’s debut appearances in France 2019 was a sign that women’s football is now a highly competitive arena, and that the growth transcends geographies.

The media attention that the FIFA Women’s World Cup received in 2019 also pushed growing sentiment and drive for players to fair compensation and be on equal footing with men’s football. FIFA answered this need with a 1 billion dollar investment in growing women’s football over the next three years from an initial $500 million dollars that it was set to invest in grassroots initiatives and efforts to increase the commercial appeal of the women’s game.

“The Premier League is also set to take over the operations of the FA run Women’s Super League, a deal that was delayed until 2022. The partnership with the Premier League is set to be a boost to the commercial value of women’s football in England. ”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

Lyon Women celebrate with the trophy during the UEFA Womens Champions League Final between VfL Wolfsburg and Olympique Lyonnais on May 24, 2018 in Kiev, Ukraine.

(May 23, 2018 - Source: David Ramos/Getty Images Europe)

Beyond the hype; 2019 was a launching year for professional football leagues

Probably the most important impact that the buzz around women’s football is having at the moment is the spillover into the professional leagues. Club football is growing, from the world’s biggest leagues to small leagues popping up across the globe, ushering a promising future and enhancing the competitive side of the game.

The best leagues in the world including England’s Women’s Super League, Primero Division in Spain, NWSL in the US, took major shifts and deals ahead of the 2020/2021 seasons. One of the most pressing obstacles for the development of the different leagues has been accessing the large financial resources within the world of football, usually poured into men’s leagues. Fortunately, investors are now looking at the women’s game as a sound destination for investments and for future gain. Visa for example put in as much as it did for the men’s World Cup into France 2019.

Moving into the women’s leagues, as the only fully professional league in Europe, the WSL has attracted some attention from major sponsors. Barclays is set to put in £10 million at the start of the season into the Women’s Super League. The Premier League is also set to take over the operations of the FA run Women’s Super League, a deal that was delayed until 2022. The partnership with the Premier League is set to be a boost to the commercial value of women’s football in England.

In the US, the World Cup attendance and the abundant support have finally captured the attention of some of the biggest names in men’s football. For the longest time, there has been a disconnect between the support given to the national team and the attention paid to the NWSL despite being the biggest league in the world where you could find the biggest names in the game. More teams are lining up to join the league and the league body looks set to expand the number of teams in the league from 9 to 12 by the 2021 season. The fact that Budweiser, one of USA’s biggest sponsors has come on indicates this radical shift. The league is one of the best in the world, has been a destination for the world’s best for many years and is finally about to get the recognition as a global leader and a league that other leagues look to for its success.

Furthermore, a new $650,000 salary cap and a raised minimum pay for players are reasons to be more hopeful. The world champions, the USNWT, majority of which play in the NSWL renewed their calls for equal pay with their male counterparts after winning the World Cup and set the tone for many such calls around the world.

Alex Morgan, Ali Krieger and Megan Rapinoe at 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)

The year 2019 also marked a historic moment when almost 90% of the players in Spain’s Primero Division threatened to strike over working conditions in the League. Their fight for fair pay and benefits made global headlines as one of the most recent scuffles and attempts by players to demand appropriate compensation for their work.

The protest is the first of its kind in Spain and an overwhelming 90% of the players from the 16 clubs represented in the Primeira Division signed up to take part in the strike. The standoff came to an end after the Association of Women's Soccer Clubs moved to reopen negotiations. The strike was in protest over the payment structure in the Primeira Division, with players demanding a salary revision, recognition as soccer professionals and better working conditions.

It was the first time in the Primeira Division that such a protest happened and made global headline showing other leagues that protest could be a viable option when it comes to claiming due wages and benefits for players. Seeing that an agreement was reached by the players and the governing body, it became positive step in making playing in the division attractive and drawing more talent into the league.

European teams will also get an expanded UEFA Champions League in 2020, an announcement that was made by the governing body as they attempt to enhance the European competition. The Women’s Champions League will feature a group stage for the last 16 from 2021-22 season onwards with three teams from the top six leagues qualifying for the group stages. The tournament being expanded to include the last-16 group stage is a step that UEFA believes will boost the quality of the game. The European governing body also added that the development is set to increase competition in the domestic leagues.

The golden generation of players

Alex Morgan attends the unveiling of the POWERADE and U.S. Soccer Foundation Power Pitch on November 05, 2019 in Gardena, California.

(Nov. 4, 2019 - Source: RICH POLK/Getty Images North America)

Every successful generation of football is embodied by the talented players of the day. The level of skill and talent we are currently witnessing is simply astonishing.

The players considered to be the best talent in the world at the moment are diverse in the leagues they play for and their nationalities. When we talk about legends in the game, we think of the Brazilian Marta who happens to hold the record for most goals at a World Cup for both men and women. Also, we can look at the young players that have emerged as global icons of the game which include Ada Hegerberg from Norway and Lyon. The recent move of Australian striker Sam Kerr from Chicago Red Stars has made a culture out of highly sought after signing for players and set a precedent for players receiving the star treatment. Kerr will earn upwards of $400,000 per annum, equaling what Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg earns at Lyon shows and could be the start of more six-figure signings. With this caliber of players on the pitch, we are experiencing a golden generation of talent on the field. Who are the women holding the mantle at the moment? Also, check out FT’s Top 5 female Ballers of 2019

The best is yet to come out of women’s football

There is an electric optimism when it comes to women’s football especially after a successful global tournament. The millions added to the viewership of the FIFA Women’s World in 2019 is the gift that will trickle to the most important places in terms of skills development and professional leagues.

There’s still a long way to go and a lot of money that needs to be invested for women’s football to bring in the crowds and revenue desired. The fact is that we are not anywhere close to that but we are getting closer to creating a clear path to that goal which includes more investment into professional leagues. Increasing investment for women’s football is a point of celebration but we need more investments and more teams to make the game sustainable.

Is FIFA's planned $1 billion investment enough for women's soccer?

Soccer, just like most sports has been a "male domain" for a long time. Over the years women have been working to make their mark in the sport and we have noted a remarkable rise in the recognition of women soccer. Women from all walks of life view the game as a tool for cutting across all boundaries in terms of society, race, religion, ethnicity and socio-economic circumstances.

Ashlyn Harris, 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)

The introduction of the pinnacle of women soccer, FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991 and subsequently the FIFA U-20 and U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2002 and 2008 respectively was a major milestone. Investments at the grassroots level increased. The FIFA Forward program has made the genesis of new leagues and competitions possible with increased funding. The level of play has dramatically improved, media attention has increased exponentially, and the game has grown in popularity. However, there is no denying the fact that soccer is still a male-dominated sport. The question now becomes how do we make women soccer just as big?

Why women soccer is still not as big as the men's

One of the reasons why women soccer always seems less exciting lies in the media itself. Quality media coverage plays a major role in the prominence of a sport. While the common perception is that if women soccer was worthy of more coverage they would have it, what is apparent is the fact that the popularity of the game comes from the media itself. Men’s soccer is definitely going to seem more exciting since they have higher production values, higher-quality coverage, and higher-quality commentary. In contrast, there are fewer camera angles, fewer cuts to shot, fewer instant replays when we watch women’s soccer, so hell yeah, it’s going to seem to be a slower and less exciting game.

Perhaps we do look at soccer as a feminist issue, but that is because it is. Some argue that women soccer is less prominent than men's soccer because of the gap in physical strength and athleticism lying between genders. However how sure are we that it is a good enough reason to push men's soccer into prominence over their female counterparts? Is it not just us being a chauvinistic society? I am sure a lot will agree with me that one of the best soccer games that they have ever watched regardless of gender was the Canada vs USA Olympic match in 2012. Canada’s Christine Sinclair put her team on her back and almost carried them into the gold medal match, only to be thwarted by questionable officiating. Sinclair displayed great athleticism that some of her male counterparts have never been able to display. That game represented the beauty of athletic competition.

Fans of Canada before the match between Canada and Zimbabwe womens football for the summer olympics at Arena Corinthians on August 6, 2016 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

(Aug. 5, 2016 - Source: Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images South America)

However, if female fans cannot consistently support women soccer in order for the teams to remain solvent, why should men suffer a gender inequality stroke? Women themselves tend to be enemies of the game for not rendering enough support to their kind, the way males do.

Lack of proper support and funding resulting in lower salary rates and revenue obviously makes the women's game less appealing to young girls and less lucrative to investors.

The much needed intervention

Over the years, women have treated soccer as more than just a game, playing with passion (whether it's in the stadium or on village fields, with world-class gear or hand me downs). This drive to take the game to the next level has also been noted. This hasn't gone unnoticed as various sponsors began to see women's soccer clubs as lucrative investments. Consequently, media coverage increased and so did the fan base. However, the competitive and commercial success women soccer has attained over the years stands in stark contrast to the underlying challenges that face the game and its leaders when it comes to development from the grassroots – which represents the future of the game away from the spotlight.

FIFA has done a great job investing in women's soccer through various programs such as the FIFA Forward program that has made funding at the grassroots level possible. Resultantly, new leagues and competitions have been created awarding a lot of women the chance to play the game on a higher level.

Apart from financial investments, FIFA’s Women’s Football Strategy also outlines how the governing body plans to work with confederations, member associations, clubs and players, the media, fans and other stakeholders to confront and surmount the challenges faced in the game.

FIFA's recent contribution has made huge waves, at the FIFA Football Conference in Milan in September 2019, soccer’s supreme promised to invest $1 billion in the women’s game over the next four years. (2019 to 2022). “We need to be a little bit brave and a little bit bold if we want to move women’s football onto the next level – we need to stop copying what we do in the men’s game,” said Infantino (FIFA president).

South Africa line up prior to to the Women's Group E first round match against 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)

Aside from the billion-dollar funding, Infantino plans to launch a Women’s Club World Cup within the next two years (2020 and 2021) and revive his idea for a Women’s World League, mimicking a Nations League on a global scale. In addition to the above, during the June annual congress of the world federation, Infantino earmarked $500 million for the women’s game in the 2019-2022 cycle. This was in response to criticism over the minimal prize money on offer at the Women’s World Cup in France. After the success of the competition, that plan was quickly revised. The tournament’s expansion to a 32-team format for the 2023 iteration got fast-tracked so as to exploit the game’s new success.

There is no denying that FIFA is indeed doing a great job in supporting the women's game. However, the two burning questions are: "who benefits from this funding?" and "is it enough"?

Who benefits from the billion-dollar deal?

Details on how the $1 billion will be funded, distributed and audited to ensure that it reaches women and girls at the grassroots and truly grows the game, remain vague. However, it is apparent that much development will be considered at the top of the pyramid, further elevating leagues that are already established and have guaranteed lucrative charts. This will indeed increase the popularity of women soccer and guarantee better salaries and benefits for players who already belong to certain leagues. This is an awesome deal, but what happens to the rest of the girls playing soccer in village fields, with great passion but zero opportunities?

"A change made to the top layer of the pyramid will always be short-lived until a change is made to the base." - Lovejoy Munamati

Is the billion-dollar funding enough?

Increasing funds in women soccer will undeniably lift the game's influence to an unimaginable level. FIFA's billion dollars will go a long way in further improving the game's influence. However, is money the ultimate solution? Will it solve the various problems that lead to the women's game being less influential than their counterparts? Will it really bring the change we are looking for?

Well the simple answer to all these questions is NO. Of course we need funding to move forward and to ultimately change the game. However, to help everyone involved, be it an established player or a simple girl with nothing but passion and dreams of brighter days playing somewhere in a village we will need more than just funds.

The long-standing lack of women in positions of responsibility in the football community has led to limited voices to advocate for change. Years of institutional neglect and a lack of investment have prevented girls and women from playing the game and from assuming roles in technical, administrative and governance functions. Honestly only a woman can understand the pains and needs of another, a man in power can try to but never pinpoint the actual problem women are facing. In 2016, the FIFA Congress made the first steps to rectify this problem by approving some landmark decisions for women’s football and the representation of women in football. Realizing that funds alone will not solve this issue, FIFA football strategy has put a plan forward to include women in administrative roles and correct historical errors.

As much as we want funds to keep pouring in, the truth is funds don't just pour into washed-out associations. To receive the maximum amount of funding, federations must meet certain criteria including investment in women’s soccer, according to FIFA’s Forward 2.0 program.

These criteria include:

a) Organizing a regular, nation-wide women’s competition that lasts over a period of six months, involving at least ten teams, and playing at least 90 matches

b) Having an active women’s national team that plays at least four official or friendly matches in one calendar year

c) Having active girls’ national teams in at least two age categories who play at least four games per calendar year.

However not every association can manage to meet the above conditions as roughly a quarter of FIFA member associations simply don’t field senior women’s teams. A good example is Pakistan’s women’s national team which last played a game in 2014, the year the national league became defunct. Pakistan is not a loner, after participating in the 2015 Women’s World Cup, Colombia barely played competitive soccer. So in essence funding alone is a good solution for well-established associations that can easily sustain their influence, of which many teams struggle to do that.

“Over the years, women have treated soccer as more than just a game, playing with passion (whether it’s in the stadium or on village fields, with world-class gear or hand me downs). This drive to take the game to the next level has also been noted. This hasn’t gone unnoticed as various sponsors began to see women’s soccer clubs as lucrative investments. ”

— Lovejoy Tabeth Munamati, FirstTouch Africa

FIFA can do much more

Apart from providing funds FIFA can do so much more for women's soccer. The FIFA women's football strategy has outlined its objectives as part of the FIFA forward 2.0. The objectives illustrate support that goes beyond funding and includes:

Megan Rapinoe receives The Best FIFA Women's Player of the Year award from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 at Teatro alla Scala on September 23, 2019 in Milan, Italy.

(Sept. 22, 2019 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe)

Growing participation

Increasing the level of female participation in football is central to the organization’s ability to reach the goals and objectives outlined in FIFA 2.0: The Vision for the Future. This will allow FIFA to reach both communities where soccer is not well established and those where women grace the pitch every day. The non-profit organization will work diligently to ensure that more women have increased access to football in regions all over the world while supporting its member associations in achieving their own women’s football objectives.

Enhance the commercial value

FIFA's effectiveness to commercialize its competitions and events determines its ability to develop the game. With tremendous opportunity to expand its development efforts by creating new revenue streams from its women’s competitions and events, the organization will optimize existing competitions in order to maximize their quality.

Build the foundations

Building upon the current foundations to effectively govern and regulate a more sophisticated women’s football ecosystem is one of FIFA Forward 2.0's goals. The organization will further develop leadership training platforms designed to attract women to the upper ranks of the football industry. With the knowledge that increasing female participation in football will play a major role in realizing the organization’s larger goals of growing the game, FIFA is pretty keen on women's soccer development.

The goals of the FIFA Forward 2.0 for women’s' soccer are to be achieved using a 5-pronged strategy. The strategy involves developing and growing the game, showcasing, communication and commercialization, governing and leading, education and empowerment.

With all the above interventions along with the billion-dollar investment, women's soccer should be good to go. However infrastructural development is another issue to contend with. Infrastructure development at both club and national team level is one sector FIFA can venture into. With state of the art infrastructure comes great passion, skills in the game. Hence FIFA's 1-billion-dollar investment might still not be enough to ultimately develop women's soccer. However, the investment will go a long way in changing women's soccer as we know it. As FIFA's president, Infantino stated while speaking about the investment:

"There will be a before, and an after, the Women’s World Cup 2019, in terms of women’s football,”

How is soccer keeping Niger girls in school?

Education and football are working hand in glove to improve the lives of girls in Niger. The West African country is among the poorest in the world with the highest rates of early childhood marriage. A startling three in four adolescent girls are married before the age of 18, as a result, many girls do not finish school.

Photo Credit: Unicef.org

After dropping out of school and marrying at a young age, they lose out on the opportunities that education provides for young women.  A football program that is funded by UNICEF is helping to change the status quo for many out-of-school girls in Niger.  This program has been supporting soccer academies for young women, such as Academie Atcha in Niger’s capital Niamey. The academy combines both academics and football which is an incentive for the girls to attend school while also playing the game, which has effectively increased the student retention rates. Through education, these young women are widening their options for their future. Over the past two years, UNICEF together with the National Football Federation has been organizing a national tournament for girls under the age of 17.

“The organization of this tournament goes beyond the question of sport. It aims above all to challenge stereotypes and gender norms. Sport can help girls to place themselves on an equal footing with boys…When girls play, when girls go to school, when girls are no longer victims of violence, when childhood is not shortcut by marriage, the world wins!”- Felicite Tchibindat, UNICEF Representative in Niger.

Breaking boundaries on and off the pitch

As a predominantly Muslim country, it is not common for girls to pursue a career in football. The young women who play the game are faced with gender stereotypes and restrictions that become obstacles for them. Niger’s senior women’s national team has also shared struggles to be excepted from the community which believes that women should never play football as a profession. Despite the opposition from communities and religious leaders who disapprove of girls playing football, the families of the footballers give their full support to the girls. Football is not only giving the girls access to education but also gives these young women the confidence and agency to make decisions and use their talents to better their lives.  In turn, the girls are changing the rules and using the game as a vehicle to pursue their dreams, break gender stereotypes and change perceptions in their communities.

“Football is not just a man’s game. Girls can play as well.  In the past, after school, I went to the playground where boys practice football, but they refused to play with me arguing that football is not a sport for girls. I was shocked, and in my neighborhood, not a single girl plays football.”- 16-year-old Cherifa

Football with a difference

It is the right of every child to get an education. Sadly, millions of girls around the world are robbed of this right. Organizations such as UNICEF which are committed to partnering with communities to transform the lives of children are playing a pivotal role in showing the positive impact that sport and education have on young women.

Photo Credit: Unicef.org

Nelson Mandela once said that “sport has the power to change the world.” Football is more than just a game but a powerful force to support children and get them into school as is the case now in Niger. It builds confidence in their abilities and should be encouraged as they tackle the obstacles on and off the field. The young girls are breaking boundaries and shattering gender stereotypes despite being told by their community that they should not play football.

FirstTouch’s Top 5 African Female Ballers of 2019

On the 7th of January 2020 in Egypt, Africa's football governing body CAF will announce the top women's player of the year. It's an accolade that has seen all its previous winners enjoy global success as they pushed for new frontiers and held the banner of African football with pride. Out of the shortlist of 10 women chosen by technology and media professionals, here at FirstTouch, we have picked our 5 leading candidates to claim the prize. In no particular order, they are as follows:

Han Peng #18 and Liu Shanshan #2 of China try to block Ajara Nchout #3 of Cameroon during the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada Round 16 match between China and Cameroon at Commonwealth Stadium on June 20, 2015 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

(June 19, 2015 - Source: Todd Korol/Getty Images North America)

1. Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona)

No better place to start than with the 3-time winner of the CAF Women's Footballer of the year. The 25-year old Nigerian international has become a legend all too quickly playing for the best teams in the best leagues around the world. Not least of her former employers include Arsenal, Liverpool and Dalian Quanjian in the Chinese Women's Super League. The year 2019 was probably not her best with Barcelona as the Spanish Primera Division side missed out on the league and UEFA Champions League honors. Perhaps her biggest goals of the year included one in Barcelona's only goal in a 1-4 final loss to Lyon in Champions League and another one against South Korea that helped Nigeria reach the round-of-16 of the FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time in since 1999.

2. Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa & Beijing BG Phoenix Rising)

After an unreal 2018 that left her by far the best player on the continent as she helped South Africa reach the FIFA Women's World Cup finals for the first time, Kgatlana didn't fold in 2019. The reigning CAF Best Player of the year made the move to Chinese side Beijing BG Phoenix Rising in February 2019 and has since scored 6 goals in her debut league appearance. The 23-year-old forward also scored South Africa's first and only goal of the World Cup in a group stages 1-3 loss to Spain.

3. Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi & Jiangsu Suning)

Africa keeps churning goal-scoring talents and Chawinga is the latest legend in the making. After becoming the first Malawian women's player to ply her trade in Europe, the 22-year-old has delivered performances worthy of being a pioneer. Short stints in Sweden saw her grab all the top goal scorer's awards she ever contested for and at times pipping the runner-up by a clear 14 goals. She has since made a move to China after a record transfer fee in Swedish football. The year 2019 was her second in the Chinese Women's Super League as she helped Jiangsu Suning to a treble and also bagged a treble of her own in terms of top goal-scoring accolades. Chawinga is the current top goal scorer in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifiers and also retained the CSWL's golden boot after scoring 12 times in 14 league appearances, 4 goals ahead of the second-best. By reason of all this, she surely is the favorite to win Africa's top prize. It just looks like her reign has only started and could make the rounds in a few more years, world-wide.

Elizabeth Addo of Ghana looks on during the women's international friendly match between Germnay and Ghana at Benteler Arena on July 22, 2016 in Paderborn, Germany.

(July 21, 2016 - Source: Lars Baron/Bongarts)

4. Ajara Nchout (Cameroon & Valerenga)

This name should be familiar to most. The Cameroonian international scored Cameroon's only 2 goals in their only victory over New Zealand at the 2019 FIFA World Cup in France. The Valerenga forward's brace was actually enough to send the Indomitable Lionesses into the round-of-16 where they eventually lost 3-0 to England under the spotlight of VAR controversies. Most excitingly, the 26-year-old was nominated for the 2019 FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal of the year courtesy of her brilliant solo goal against New Zealand at the World Cup. She could be forgiven for then losing out to Lionel Messi on the accolade. The Indomitable Lionesses forward has also proven a clutch in her nation's pursuit of a 2020 Tokyo Olympics spot, scoring the decisive goal against DR Congo in the 3rd round. Cameroon are now in the playoffs finals against Zambia.

5. Elizabeth Addo (Ghana & Jiangsu Suning)

When they mention Chawinga in China, Addo's name usually comes after. The Black Queens captain is the Malawian's partner in crime at Jiangsu Suning. Elizabeth, 26, also aided the CWSL side's treble win with her 3 goals in 14 outings. She has been one of the best footballers on the continent for a while now, with club stints in Nigeria, Serbia, Hungary, Sweden, USA, and Australia. Addo also captained Ghana at the 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations and got listed in the tournament's best XI despite the host nation's failure to go past the group stages.

There you have it people, let us know if we missed anyone in the comment box below.

FirstTouch’s Top 10 Female Players of 2019

Megan Rapinoe poses backstage during the 2019 Glamour Women Of The Year Awards at Alice Tully Hall on November 11, 2019 in New York City.

(Nov. 10, 2019 - Source: Getty Images North America)

In no chronological order, they are as follows;

1. Megan Rapinoe

It takes someone special to be a major influence both on and off the pitch. Megan Rapinoe has become one such player, a major force in the world of soccer who walks the talk. They say good things come to those who wait and seemingly Pinoe has had to wait until the twilight years of her career to become a global phenomenon. The year 2019 was particularly unreal for the USWNT star who led the Stars & Stripe to a record 4th World Cup title in France, finishing as a joint top goal scorer and taking home the Golden Ball Award for the best player of the tournament. The 34-year-old was also named the 2019 FIFA Best Women's Player of the Year and even won bigger battles off the pitch as she became a banner for gender equality advocacy in football.

2. Lucy Bronze

You have to be really good to get any mention on these lists if you are a defender. Fans of the game just have an interesting bias towards prolific goal scorers. Bronze is that good and more. The England international also had a fruitful 2019 as she helped the Lionesses finish 4th at the World Cup in France. At club level, the 28-year-old was also a key member of the Lyon squad that typically won multiple trophies, including the coveted Champions League title. The flying full-back was named the 2019 UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, finished 3rd behind Rapinoe and Alex Morgan on the FIFA Best Awards and also took home the Silver Ball from the World Cup finals in France.

3. Sam Kerr

Talk about scoring goals. The Australian international did that for fun in the 2019 NWSL season as her Chicago Red Stars reached the play-off finals. The 26-year-old bagged a total of 18 goals and served up 5 assists in 21 matches during the campaign, breaking the record of goals scored in a single season previously held by herself. In that process, she also extended her record as the all-time leading goal scorer in the American top-flight league. After months of speculation, with some of the big clubs in Europe reportedly monitoring her, Kerr eventually joined Chelsea at the end of the NWSL season in the FA WSL.

4. Ada Hegerberg

The Norwegian is no stranger to this list after being the first-ever woman to win the Ballon d'Or in 2018. She may have missed out on the 2019 World Cup finals in protest against her country's football federation on the grounds of poor investment in the women's game, but her club performance was just as impressive. She scored a total of 20 goals in 20 domestic league matches for the 2018/19 season, also helped Lyon retain the Champions League and French Ligue 1 titles. In fact, she bagged a hattrick in the UEFA final as the French club sank Barcelona by a 4-1 scoreline. Most remarkably, the 24-year-old striker became the all-time leading goal scorer in the Champions League in October when she scored her 53rd goal in 50 appearances, breaking the record previously held by the German Anja Mittag.

5. Wendie Renard

Lucy Bronze of England controls the ball during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France group D match between England and Scotland at Stade de Nice on June 09, 2019 in Nice, France.

(June 8, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

The French international has a knack for scoring goals even though she is a center-back by trade. At the 2019 FIFA World Cup finals, she finished as the 5th joint top goal scorer with 4 strikes in 5 appearances for Les Bleus who were eliminated at the quarter-final stage by eventual champions, USWNT. Just like Bronze and Hegerberg, the 29-year-old Renard was a key figure in the Lyon side that won multiple trophies in 2019 and continues to prove to the world that they just might be the greatest living sports team. If men's football can boast being endowed with the immaculate Van Dijk, then women's football have the presence of Renard.

6. Vivianne Miedema

The Dutch forward could be the most talented forward in this generation and yes I am an Arsenal fan. Sue me if you may for being biased, but Miedema is almost as good as they come. At just 23-years-of age, the Gunners forward has already become the all-time leading goal scorer for both the women's and men's national teams in the Netherlands, surpassing the record previously held by her idol, Robin van Persie. In the year 2019, she helped Arsenal to a domestic treble and was awarded the PFA Women's Player of the Year, with her compatriot Van Dijk winning the men's accolade. She was also instrumental to the Oranje side who reached the 2019 World Cup finals, scoring 3 times in 7 appearances. In the ongoing Champions League campaign, Miedema is the top goal scorer with 10 in 4 matches and her club will play PSG in the last 8.

7. Alex Morgan

The 30-year-old also had a fun year being Rapinoe's "ride or die." Together they co-captained the USWNT to World Cup glory, also finishing as joint top goal scorers with 6 goals in 7 matches. She also received the FIFA Bronze Ball after being named the 3rd best player of the tournament in France and was among the three short-listed candidates for both the FIFA Best Awards and the UEFA individual prizes. Morgan didn't have as successful a club campaign with Orlando Pride in the NWSL and had to even pull out of the squad towards the end of the season to have surgery on a knee injury she had been nursing throughout the world cup.

Sari Van Veenendaal receives The Best FIFA women's goalkeeper of the year award at the Teatro alla Scala during The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 on September 23, 2019 in Milan, Italy.

(Sept. 22, 2019 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe)

8. Lieke Martens

She is one of the quickest and most skillful women soccer players alive. Lieke Martens played through injury, helping the Netherlands reach the world cup finals in France. The winger's club form and exploits were relatively more fruitful as she was key in the Barca side that made the Champions League finals, eventually losing out to Lyon in the final. The 26-year eventually losing out to Lyon in the final. The 26-yearold just returned from the injury sustained during the world cup and like Messi, could be key in leading Barcelona to more silverware this new season.

9. Asisat Oshoala

Year after year, the Nigerian international continues to get a mention. The 25-year-old helped the Super Eagles to a historic knock-out round finish at the 2019 FIFA World Cup finals in France. Alongside South Africa's Thembi Kgatlana, they both top the list of the deadliest strikers on the African continent. With Lieke Martens, she also helped Barcelona reach the 2019 UEFA final, becoming the first African to score in the women's Champions League.

10. Sari van Veenendaal

No one had a safer pair of hands in 2019 than Atletico Madrid's van Veenendaal. The Dutch won the Golden Glove Award after being named the best goalkeeper at the 2019 World Cup finals where the Oranje finished 2nd behind the USWNT. She made a leading total of 23 saves during the world cup and earned herself a first-ever 2019 FIFA Best Women's Goalkeeper Award. Before France, the 29-year-old had also helped Arsenal to a domestic treble in the FA WSL. Now, she has been minding the goal for the Spanish champions who are in contention to win the Champions League crown after eliminating Manchester City in the round-of-16.

Put aside the 93% of Spanish women following in the footsteps of the USWNT, protests over pay and working conditions are just starting

Patricia Guijarro of FC Barcelona celebrates with her team mates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Women's Chamoions League round of 32 2nd leg between FC Barcelona Women and BIIK Kazygurt at the Mini Estadi on September 26, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.

(Sept. 25, 2018 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

The unfortunate state of affairs

Players in Spain’s top-flight women’s league are in talks with the Association of Women's Soccer Clubs after a strike that saw eight games postponed on November 16th. The strike was in protest over the payment structure in the Primeira Division with players demanding a salary revision and better working conditions. Despite being one of the top women’s leagues in the world, players in the league feel that they are receiving the short end of the bargain from the authorities and after a year of failed negotiations, the players finally took decisive action on the matter. The protest is the first of its kind in Spain and an overwhelming 90% of the players from the 16 clubs represented in Primeira Division signed up to take part in the strike. The standoff came to an end after the Association of Women's Soccer Clubs moved to reopen negotiations.

The players have since reduced their demands to about €16,000 as the minimum wage from the initial €20,000. They are also asking for protection in the case that protects their maternity rights, working conditions and an increase in the minimum hours per week from 20 to 40 hours. One major challenge is that many of the players in the league are not considered full-time players and are only employed on a part-time basis which cuts their earnings drastically. This type of situation can be seen all over Europe for example in England, players in the Women’s Super League women earn an average of £18,000 whereas the male players in the English Premier League earn an average of £2.6 million a year leaving some to have to supplement their football careers with jobs to make ends meet. Spain is just the latest to experience the current wave sweeping across women’s football of players demanding fairer working conditions. Football is one of the most unequal sports and for the women playing in the game, their voices can now be heard loudly; “enough is enough, we want a fair system.”

 USWNT: World Champions and women’s rights icons

The fight for better pay by women’s teams is all about fighting the system and demanding more equitable conditions and there is no better representation for this fight than the USWNT. Recently the world watched as the United States won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France and immediately took the win as an opportunity to voice their issues in the press and sending a message to the world about the state of women’s football. Many would know of the ongoing dispute between the USWNT and the United States Soccer Federation over an unequal pay structure between the women’s and men's sides that has been playing out for a number of years. USA Women’s football team are champions and heroes off the field for their activism in the face of what they deem to be gender discrimination. In 2016, five players namely Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Rebecca Sauerbrunn, Hope Solo and Alex Morgan also filed a wage discrimination complaint against their employers, the USA Soccer Federation. In March 2019, 28 players signed a class action lawsuit revealing details of perks and benefits that only the male team receive which included private jets and winning bonuses that were substantially higher for the US Men’s team. A big argument for the USWNT is that their record is far more impressive with more games and trophies won that the male team but receive substantially lower salaries and benefits.

“To create a snapshot of the odds against female footballers we can take a look at the fact that Lionel Messi earns more in salaries that the professional women players in the top seven leagues combined.”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

 The example that USWNT has set in deciding to battle it out with their employers has undoubtedly caused the issue to be brought to the forefront and has had a cascading impact on the rest of women’s football. Their decision to take the fight to the public has seemingly inspired other players to do the same. Players speaking out on this issue, are actually starting to make a difference. For example, Norway's women’s football team won equal pay in 2017 after the men’s team forfeited some of their benefits. In other cases, the associations and the players settle their disputes outside of court and in private as in the case of the Australian national team which reached a deal where they would be awarded the same pay as the men’s team. The Matildas will also be allowed to travel business class for international travel and a commitment from the national governing body to raise coaching standards. Fighting this battle on the public domain has its benefits and most importantly that fans can see it all play out as is the case of USWNT. Fans have since backed and supported the team in their quest for equal pay chanting, “equal pay” as the players went up to receive their medals during the FIFA World Cup final. USWNT fearless approach in demanding fair compensation has galvanized support for the cause and a growing movement around equal pay in the United States and in the worldwide media. Although the USWNT case was under mediation, the talks stopped after what the federation was unwilling to meet the demands set by the players. Megan Rapinoe the co-captain and most vocal player said, “When [US Soccer] is ready to have a serious conversation about equal pay, I think the conversations will go better."

Megan Rapinoe of the USA celebrates after scoring her team's first goal 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: 5021154/Getty Images Europe)

Steps being taken by players around the world

In Italy, the Women’s team is still considered amateurs according to law and therefore they are currently allowed to earn up to €33,000 before taxes because of the amateur status a law that is archaic. Football in Italy is not traditionally a woman’s sport and as such there are many barriers for women. Despite this, the Italian women’s team qualified for their first World Cup in 20 years and made it to the quarter-finals. The momentum from their World Cup performance has led to more Italians backing the women’s team. The conditions in Italy still represent a culture that views football as a male sport, however, the perceptions in the country are beginning to shift due to the performance of the women’s team to qualify for the World Cup, whereas the Azzurri failed to qualify for the men’s edition in 2018.

One player who has been vocal about the issue in Italy and who is behind the movement to usher in Italian football into the modern era is Juventus player Barbara Bonansea. She believes that the increase in viewership should correspond with the remuneration for female players; “If there’s more coverage of our games and more sponsors come in, then we deserve more, too.” It is common that the women’s teams which in most cases have better records than the men’s teams do not get rewarded in an equitable manner for their exploits on the field. Taking the issue to the African continent, Africa’s most successful women’s team, Super Falcons have also been vocal in the conversation around unequal payment systems. While participating in tournaments, the men's team receives $10,000 for a win and $5,000 for a draw while the Super Falcons can expect $3,000 and $1,500. The Super Falcons have demonstrated in protest of unpaid allowances. Forward, Desire Oparanozie called for equal pay noting that the teams were just as successful as the men’s; "We are the most successful female team in Africa, yet we have the largest disparities between men's and women's pay," Super Falcons have won 11 AFCON titles and the last three competitions. Progress is being made elsewhere in Nigeria, in Edo State, where the women and men’s teams are going to be paid the same after the authorities saw that paying women less was more of a gender issue than a performance issue. It’s a small win for women’s football in Nigeria and with time, this trend will catch on to the rest of the continent.

Jackie Groenen of the Netherlands kisses the trophy following the Final of the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 between Netherlands v Denmark at FC Twente Stadium on August 6, 2017 in Enschede, Netherlands.

(Aug. 5, 2017 - Source: Maja Hitij/Getty Images Europe)

 What will it really take to achieve equality?

To create a snapshot of the odds against female footballers we can take a look at the fact that Lionel Messi earns more in salaries that the professional women players in the top seven leagues combined. The gap is saddening and reveals a desperate need for change. This is possibly the start of a push back from players on the working conditions and it’s good and welcome progress the sport. As Megan Rapinoe puts it, a paradigm shift and a completely new way of looking at women’s football is necessary if the change is ever to come to the game. Equal pay might still be an ideal today but through the continued work of women in the sport, it could soon be a reality. To achieve equality, we are talking about having to look beyond just beyond revenues that women earn and start making headway on trying to invest in teams and marketing of the sport. The women’s game is a long way to go in terms of receiving as much investment and attention it needs.

Jada Whyman of Western Sydney Wanderers FC and Sam Kerr of Perth Glory speak on stage during the 2018/19 A-League Season Launch at Fox Studios on October 15, 2018 in Sydney, Australia.

(Oct. 14, 2018 - Source: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images AsiaPac)

It’s a system-wide problem, even at the FIFA Women’s World Cup the players received less amount for an appearance fee and the tournament prize is only a fraction of the prize money awarded at the FIFA Men’s World Cup. The prize money for the 2019 FIFA World Cup was $30 million, twice the amount paid in the previous tournament. In 2018 FIFA prizes for the Men’s tournament went up to $400 million, a difference of more than ten times. FIFA has promised to invest half a billion dollars in Women’s game over the next few years. Progress is being made. For example, it increased the number of teams for the world cup to 32 from 24 as a way to boost women’s football and create space for talent. Although FIFA is not in charge of how prize money is distributed in each of the federations, there is room for regulations that allow female players to receive their fair share from the National federations.

Final thoughts

Currently, the male game is more popular and receives resoundingly more attention than the female game. Women’s football is more popular than it has ever been and as such, it is the appropriate time to iron out the issues in the game. Some countries that have reached positive agreements after giving equal pay at the national team level including New Zealand, the Netherlands proving that it is not so difficult to reach an equitable decision. These players are simply asking to be able to play the game as professionals just like in the men. It’s yet to be seen what will come out of the negotiations between the players and the authorities in Spain. The hope is that this strike can be added to the list of wins in women’s football.

With Lyon’s domestic and European dominance, who realistically has a chance to challenge them in 19/20 season?

Olympique Lyon fans beat drums during the Women's Champions League match between Lyon and Wolfsburg at Stade de Lyon on March 29, 2017 in Lyon, France.

(March 28, 2017 - Source: Christopher Lee/Getty Images Europe)

The UEFA Women’s Champions League is currently underway and there is one question hanging in the air when it comes to Europe’s biggest club competition. Over the years, Olympique Lyonnais has sustained its position as a dominant force in women’s football, it can easily be said that they are the most prolific team in the world today. Who would be able to match Lyon and take over the European crown? Is it even possible with the current heavyweights that constitute Lyon’s squad? What they have managed to achieve puts them amongst the greatest teams in the world. This team is arguably the most accomplished team in women football as we speak. They are the most feared and sought after team in the world, loved and revered for their game and their championship values.

Why is it difficult to beat Lyon?

Years after the UEFA Women’s Champions League was formed, there are still only a few teams that can go against this formidable squad. The world’s finest players want to play for the team, as a result, they have a talent pool of incredible players such as the Norwegian Ada Herderberg and England’s Lucy Bronze who have been key in the team. This dominance has resulted in Lyon being a team that others look up to. Some have called them the best team assembled in history and this is not to exaggerate and sensationalize the feats that Lyon have been able to achieve in France and Europe. While winning the European Cup is an accomplishment that most teams dream of, Lyon have consistently had the reigns both domestically and in Europe. Once again, few teams can claim such a record and not even teams in the males’ game. The greatest thing to watch about Lyon is the consistency, for fans, it’s satisfying to know that your team is going to be consistent.

“If we needed another example of Vivianne Miedema’s greatness and as a dominant figure on the pitch, the Netherlands’ all-time top goalscorer is this season’s UCL top goal scorer ahead of the aforementioned Ada Hegerberg, netting 10 goals in 4 matches of the competition so far.  ”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

Vicky Losada of FC Barcelona conducts the ball under pressure from Delphine Cascarino of Olympique Lyon during the UEFA Women's Champions League Quarter Final 2nd Leg match between FC Barcelona Women and Olympique Lyon Women at Mini Estadi on March 28, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.

(March 27, 2018 - Source: Alex Caparros/Getty Images Europe)

Lyon Factsheet

Olympique Lyonnais Féminin was formed in 1970 in the historic city of Lyon and since then has risen in leaps and bounds with record-breaking accolades spanning both domestically and in European football. OL have an astonishing seventeen domestic French league titles to their name. Maintaining that top position can be attributed to their dominance which has attracted the best players and continues to be the place of choice for the world’s most talented players. When the Ballon D’Or award was finally set to be awarded to a woman for the first time, six women from the team were nominated namely, the brilliant Lucy Bronze Amandine Henry, Saki Kumagai, Dzsenifer Marozsan, Marta, and Ada Herderberg who eventually walked away with the prestigious award. The Norwegian has recently smashed another record by becoming the all-time top goalscorer with fifty-two goals in fifty UEFA Women’s Champions League games. Lyon have also claimed their most recent player accolade, the 2019 UEFA Women’s Best Player Award which went to defender Lucy Bronze, the fourth Lyon player in the last four years to receive this prestigious award. Award after award has helped serve as evidence to the fact that they are just the greatest team in the world right now. The facts have it that Lyon is not only highly successful in the women’s game but also in comparison to the achievements of male teams that have been around for much longer.

 However, the top teams that have the potential to knock Lyon from European dominance include:

 PSG

We cannot talk about any rivalry in France that is more prominent than that of PSG and Lyon. Although OL has won most of the titles in Division 1 Féminine, PSG has always been next in line. In the last 9 seasons in the domestic league, they have managed to lose only two games. In France, PSG are two-time cup winners and no strangers to the UCL, making it to the finals in 2015 and 2017 losing to Frankfurt and Lyon on the respective occasions. PSG have a team that has a wealth of experienced, captained by 41-year old veteran Formiga. Similar to their male counterparts, PSG Feminine have a young star, Marie-Antoinette Katoto who was last season’s Ligue 1 top goal scorer and with five goals in the tournament so far. A controversial decision by France head coach Corinne Diacre to leave the 20-year-old striker from the 2019 World Cup squad raised eyebrows, with Diacre explaining that the PSG striker was not meeting up to 100% of her talent. Katoto has continued to be the key in PSG’s domestic and European campaign this season.

isa Evans, Emma Mitchell and Kim Little of Arsenal Women celebrate with the trophy after the WSL Continental Cup Final between Arsenal Women and Manchester City Ladies at Adams Park on March 14, 2018 in High Wycombe, England.

(March 13, 2018 - Source: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Europe)

Arsenal

Coming back from a five-year hiatus from Champions League football, the energy that they have been bringing to the games in the Champions League has been electric. They won last season’s Super Cup and are currently the only English team to qualify for the 2019/20 UWCL quarter-finals. Arsenal are former UCL champions themselves, lifting the cup in 2007. The current campaign has started off well for the Gunners, with a brilliant showing in the recent round of sixteen showcase against Slavia Prague whom they beat 13-2 on aggregate. Arsenal’s squad also has a good number of talents to boast of. One such major talent is the young Dutch phenomenon, Vivianne Miedema who is the heart of Arsenal’s attack with her spectacular goal-scoring abilities. She’s quickly becoming one of Europe’s most valuable players at just the age of 23. If we needed another example of Vivianne Miedema’s greatness as a dominant figure on the pitch, the Netherlands’ all-time top goalscorer is this season’s UCL top goal scorer ahead of the aforementioned Ada Hegerberg, netting 10 goals in 4 matches of the competition so far.  Another Dutch player and Arsenal’s top woman is Jill Roord, the 22-year old midfielder who joined the North Londoners this summer from Bayern Munich after two years in the Bundesliga. After being drawn on the same side as Lyon in the Quarterfinals, it is likely that Arsenal will meet Lyon in the semi-finals if they go through past PSG.

 Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg achieved a treble in the 2012-2013 season, winning the Bundesliga title, domestic cup and going on to win the UEFA Champions League. Stephan Lerch’s team holds the second-most consecutive wins in the UEFA Champions League finals after Lyon. The Bundesliga has been dominated by Wolfsburg, having won five titles in the last six seasons. The She-wolves are unbeaten in their domestic games and could go on to meet the French champions, Lyon in the finals. The pressure will be on Wolfsburg who have an anchor in Pernille Harder, an inspirational figure in the squad to lead them to a possible second-ever UCL title.

Dzsenifer Marozsan of Olympique Lyon battles with Isabel Kerschowski of VFL Wolfsberg and Babett Peter of VFL Wolfsberg during the Women's Champions League match between Lyon and Wolfsburg at Stade de Lyon on March 29, 2017 in Lyon, France.

(March 28, 2017 - Source: Christopher Lee/Getty Images Europe

Barcelona

Last year’s runners up could potentially face Lyon in the 2020 UCL final. In last year’s meeting, Barca was overwhelmed by a strong Lyon side that put four past their goal to win a fourth UCL title in a row during last season’s competition. The Spanish giants have four domestic titles to boast of in the Primera División. Barca’s team is so solid that as many as 15 of its players were called up to their respective national teams. Star player Lieke Martens who suffered an injury during the world cup is set to return to the field for the UCL quarter-finals. Barcelona faces another tough opponent in domestic rivals and current league champions Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 8.

Conclusion

Lyon has shown the world that they are a brilliantly assembled team that consists of the best players in the world; an unstoppable force and a formula for repetitive titles. Their unmatched dominance is just another example of why they deserve to be called the best team in the world. They have also shown that the women’s game should be paid attention to as they cease not to deliver performances that continue to garner them titles and a much-coveted reputation. It’s a difficult exercise to point which team has the potential to topple Lyon but as years go by, other teams are definitely getting stronger and making it harder for Lyon to retain their European dominance.

 The first leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-finals will be held in March 2020 with the semi-finals happening on April 25-26 and May 2-3. Be on the lookout for more stories as the competition unfolds. 

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?