South Africa’s victory inspires the continent
South Africa's defender #14 Tiisetso Makhubela (left) celebrates with teammates their win at the end of their 2023 Women's World Cup Group G match against Italy at Wellington Stadium in Wellington on August 2, 2023.
What you need to know:
- As if to confirm our fears, Morocco, Zambia, South Africa and even Nigeria all faltered in their opening matches. But now, two weeks in, things are turning around.
A few days before the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup began, I had an instructive conversation with a football-mad journalist from the Gambia.
We were chatting on Facebook, where he had posted a picture wearing a Banyana Banyana jersey, so I asked him what he thought of the Women’s World Cup that was to start the following week.
As everyone knows, football is a common language, particularly for people from different cultures who might otherwise struggle to find something to talk about together.
I asked him to name his favourite player (South African Thembi Kgatlana) and whether he thought Banyana Banyana, whose shirt he was wearing, would make it out of the group stages (he was certain they wouldn’t).
He asked, had I heard about the pay row between the team and SAFA (South African Football Association)? I said yes. Had I watched the German women’s team play recently? I confessed I had not.
The US women’s national team (USWNT) is prepared to win it again, he said. And if they don’t, Spain, Brazil and Germany are there, he added and quoted the latest Fifa women’s world rankings. Yeah, but it’s the World Cup, I interrupted. Wonders do happen, right?
He hesitated, and then resumed typing. Politely but firmly he recited the USWNT’s many accomplishments, and mentioned the weaknesses that Zambia, South Africa and Nigeria had endured in the run up to this tournament. He said he couldn’t speak for Morocco, for obvious reasons.
I felt he was doing his best to explain the reality of football to someone he could see was hopelessly attached to an oversimplified philosophy of chance and good luck that was obviously misplaced.
I didn’t let him know, but I left that conversation thoroughly convinced that there would be very few happy moments for Africa in this year’s tournament.
As if to confirm our fears, Morocco, Zambia, South Africa and even Nigeria all faltered in their opening matches. But now, two weeks in, things are turning around.
On Wednesday, South Africa prove doubters wrong by advancing to the round of 16! Their 3-2 victory over Italy was a first for the side at this level, and could have longer-term implications for the development of the game in the country.
Meanwhile, for the first time since the 2011 World Cup in Germany, the USWNT finished second in their group.
And judging by their below par performance against their opponents at the group stage, we might be witnessing the start of the end of an American football dynasty.
They finished their group assignments with five points in three matches, and watching their play where team chemistry as well as offensive creativity seems insufficient, it might be accurate to say we are entering a new era in which the US are no longer the dominant force in women's football.
Looks like the coach’s decision to count on 14 World Cup debutants in the squad wasn’t so wise?
Anyway, women’s football is finally coming up. More investment and better coaching has succeeded in attracting greater talent, and spectators are now being given a show comparable to the men’s competition.
Such surprises, as well as the buzzing atmosphere around this year’s tournament, gives plenty of cause for optimism that global women’s football – and women’s sport in general – has a bright future ahead.
Onwards to the knock out stage!
