Women and the beautiful game

Africa’s football war on women

Recently, a leading club in Zimbabwe—Dynamos fired a woman physiotherapist because fans and executives believed charms were not working due to her presence on the technical bench. More and more women could find themselves sidelined from duties that require them to be on the turf.

By Limukani Ncube - 5 October 2010 - Text, Women and the beautiful game

Old is Gold

The women of the the Old is Gold women’s football team from Mathare slums in Nairobi love nothing more than to pull on a pair of shorts, sit their children on the sidelines and jump onto an often muddy football pitch for a kick about.

By Julius Mwelu - 27 September 2010 - Photo, Women and the beautiful game

Girlfriends

A portrait series of a lesbian soccer team.

By Simone Scholtz - 14 September 2010 - Multimedia, Photo, Women and the beautiful game

Ghana’s Black Queens qualify for African Women’s Championship

The Black Queens are Ghana’s extremely talented national female football team whose love for the game started when they were children and used to watch international soccer games on the television.

By Emmanuel Quaye - 10 August 2010 - Photo, Women and the beautiful game

Female supporters

Women embrace the World Cup fever.

By Ahmed Jallanzo - 7 July 2010 - Photo, Women and the beautiful game

Women discuss the impact of the World Cup on their relationships

It seems that Africa’s first FIFA World Cup has strengthened the relationship between men and women as wives and girlfriends have embraced the soccer fever. Instead of women losing their men for the month-long tournament, they have opted instead to go with their boyfriends and husbands to the stadiums and fan parks.

By Lucky Sindane - 26 June 2010 - Text, Women and the beautiful game

The Princess of Burkina Faso

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.

By Ally Soobye - 3 June 2010 - Photo, Women and the beautiful game

The woman in black

Marie Agnès Makengi Kapinga, otherwise known as Mère Malou, made a name for herself when she became the first international female football referee in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

By Joseph Moura - 5 May 2010 - Photo, Women and the beautiful game