Women have fought their way into football and into the hearts of fans in a very short space of time. It was only in 1998 when the ladies got their first CAF recognized competition in the continent, and had the right to fight for the glory of the round-leather object (football).
The Super falcons are a thousand steps ahead of any other female African team. Despite the Falcons being the best in the continent, they have found it somewhat difficult to put their signature on the world cup level, with their best performances dating back to 1999 and 2004; world cup quarter finalists and Olympic quarter finalists respectively.
The CAF awards of 2018 presented some people with joy, while others pondered ; Is there not a female version of best young player? Why isn’t there a female best XI of the year?.
This is a crucial moment in the life of female football in the continent, and CAF should be spearheading the development of female football from the grassroots.
A lady like Nchout Ajara who ended with bronze in AWCON, had a career defining season just like Tabitha Chawinga who missed the AWCON for no reason of hers or her international colleagues.
It would be difficult to see Ajara getting the form she showed throughout 2018. Ajara crowned her ‘Messianic’ year by running away with the title of highest goal scorer for her club, Sandsviken in Norway. She was totally ignored at the awards, and that might play on her morals going forward.
We have craft-women who are masters of their arts. Young female footballers make history every day from ;Mali, Malawi,Gambia, Nigeria, South Africa and Cameroon to name a few, but most of them are sidelined.
The FIFA female world cup takes place this year in France, and the teams from Africa at this level would not be expecting to go and minimise damage, but to attack and try to win games.
CAF has a big role to play in the development of Women’s football in Africa,the men got a huge subvention from the body before the world cup in Russia.CAF might as well start by increasing awards at their categories. Remember what they say? “What a man can do, a woman can do better”.
Giovanni Wanneh
