Women's Football in Africa

Book excerpt: This is the first book to take an in-depth look at women’s football in Africa. Exploring the history, contemporary landscape, and future development of the women’s game on the African continent, this book offers an important new perspective on the rise of women’s sport more broadly. This book traces the history of women’s soccer in Africa from its introduction during the period of European colonization and its subsequent ban by colonial authorities, through to the present day period of rapidly increasing spectatorship, rising participation rates, and growing media interest. It reflects on the social obstacles to girls’ participation, including sociocultural and religious barriers, as well as important social issues in football such as homophobia, discrimination, and abuse, and considers why certain countries have dominated African competitions, including Nigeria, Ghana, and, lately, South Africa, Equitorial Guinea, and Cameroon. This book also examines the crucial role played by youth academies, and FIFA’s leadership role, and considers the challenges faced by African players, clubs, and countries on the global stage. This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in football, sport history, women’s sport, Africa, development studies, or the relationships between sport and wider society.