Women's Football in Africa

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, the book offers an important new perspective on the rise of women’s sport more broadly. 

The book traces the history of women’s soccer in Africa from its introduction during the period of European colonisation and it’s 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 socio-cultural 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, latterly, South Africa, Equitorial Guinea and Cameroon. The 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.