Support women soccer

Lazarus Sauti

I

n Africa, some people call soccer the third most followed religion after Christianity and Islam; others, like Pele call it the world’s beautiful game; and most importantly, soccer is the universe’s best game.

Some people believe soccer is a source of great pride for a country. These are the same people who believe that it is also an effective game changer - soccer is an amazing tool for creating meaningful social change.

Remember Nelson Mandela once said, “Sport has the power to change the world …”

The world over, boys and girls; men and women are making a living out of soccer.

Sadly, in countries within the great African continent, only men are making a lot of monies through soccer.

This contempt for women sports means this important sector of life for women has been heavily undervalued. Women soccer is neglected and this is affecting the growth of women football in the continent.

Most, if not all, countries in the African continent have limited resources to support critical social development programmes and sadly, women soccer is low on the priority scale.

Fiestas Muzongondi, Zimbabwe Might warriors captain believes a lot of things are hindering the development of women soccer in Africa.

“Lack of sponsorship from grassroots levels for the women’s game is affecting the development of women soccer in most countries in the African continent.

“We are facing the challenge of training kits whereas it is not the same case with boys’ soccer,” Muzongondi says.

She adds: “Prejudices are working against women footballers. In Zimbabwe, it seems as if women soccer teams have a yardstick of measure in focusing and targeting mostly girls in the urban areas - towns and cities.”

To empower the girl child through soccer, teams should extent their scouting yardstick to remote areas because talent is not only in towns and cities.

More so, women soccer teams should nurture raw talent that is abundant in remote areas.

Football federations in the African continent should also fund initiatives that enhance talent identification and groom raw talent for national teams.

African governments, through responsible ministries, should take women sports seriously by investing heavily towards its success. They should not treat women soccer as mere pastime but they should follow latest trends of fully supporting women soccer.

Muzongondi believes that it is the mandate of African governments to support women sports and use it as a mechanism to empower the girl child.

Governments in Africa should also support the women soccer and corporate organisations should sustain governments’ effort by providing the required sporting instruments.

This means that it is the mandate of African governments to construct integrated sports training, residential and educational facilities in and around the continent. The training facilities should be suitable and friendly to the development of women soccer in the continent.

Muzongondi goes on to say, “It is also the responsibility of political and business leaders in the continent to expand coaching, education and social skills training to suit the developmental needs of women football.”

Of paramount importance is to train more women administrators, physiotherapists, team doctors, soccer coaches and referees and their participation can raise the bar of women soccer in the continent.

Societies should not discriminate against women footballers. Frankly, discrimination is affecting the growth of women’s soccer in the continent.

Muzongondi remarks: “Society should fully support girls with soccer talent and girls should resist from being discriminated and being challenged by traditions.”

To eradicate discrimination, Muzongondi believes, “Women teams should curtain raise for premier soccer league matches and they should also participate in more cup tournaments.”

The media, since it is the conduit for ideas should play its role both in supporting women soccer and in eradicating gender discrimination.

‘In coverage, the media should give more space to women soccer. In fighting discrimination, media should inform and educate people that the girl child can make a living out of sports just like her male counterpart,” comments Muzongondi.