Photo by Ally Soobye

Thirty-two-year-old Diane Kankyono is a professor of physical education for the Ministry of Sport in Burkina Faso. As if a full-time job balancing various ministerial duties with running training sessions for students wasn’t enough, Diane finds time to do what she loves the most: play football.

Diane grew up 100km from Ouagadougou, in a small village called Koudougou. It was here, at the age of eight, that she discovered her passion for football while playing with the local children. Now, with a 12-year-old son at home, she continues to develop her game as a player for The Burkina Faso Princesses.

The team was established in 1996 and Diane joined two years later. Over the last decade, The Burkina Faso Princesses have risen to glory in the Women’s League. In 2008, they traveled to Italy for The Triangular Tournament, where they beat their hosts and a Palestinian team.

When she is not sitting behind a desk in her office, training with teammates or caring for her teenage son, Diane can be found on one of many football fields in the city, training students to play football. With the FIFA World Cup on the horizon, and interest in the game heightened, Diane has many opportunities to share her love for football with the potential up-and-coming stars of her nation.

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Publication rights to this feature are available from Africa Media Online.