https:\/\/apo-opa.co\/3U7pm41<\/a>). In Africa, the true value is still unknown. Most of the investment comes from sports associations, governments, and a handful of sponsors. Ticket sales and big broadcast deals are exceptions, not the rule. So women\u2019s sports here are half-in, half-out: there\u2019s new investment, but plenty of hurdles remain.<\/p>\nSome progress has been made, however. This year, the Confederation of African Football doubled Women\u2019s Africa Cup of Nations prize money to $5.8 million, with $2 million for the winners. Last year, Nigeria\u2019s NWFL Premiership landed its biggest private investment, a ten-year, \u20a620 billion partnership, while South Africa\u2019s Women\u2019s League secured a R17 million naming rights deal.<\/p>\n
The Women\u2019s Africa Cup of Nations featured 16 teams, and money from TV and sponsors went up by 40%. Matches were shown on more than one hundred channels. Real interest grew across the continent. Africa\u2019s fans,\u00a0 young and energetic, followed their teams on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.<\/p>\n
Despite the progress and growing support from fans, \u00a0challenges remain. Top female players are leaving for Europe or the US, where their skills are valued and rewarded. Without money from TV deals or steady support from local fans, women\u2019s sports here will keep relying on outside help and quick fixes.<\/p>\n
In South Africa, a few years ago, women\u2019s national team players earned just a tenth of what the men did. The gap is closing, but it\u2019s not gone. Women are still few in sports leadership roles, and coaching jobs mostly go to men. But pioneers like South Africa\u2019s Desiree Ellis and Kenya\u2019s Beldine Odemba show what\u2019s possible when women get a real shot: excellence follows.<\/p>\n
Mentorship is central to that possibility.<\/strong> Behind every player and coach who broke through, there was almost always someone who opened a door, offered guidance, or made room at the table. Formal mentorship programmes, pairing rising talent with experienced players, coaches, and administrators, gave young women a clearer path into leadership roles that had long been closed to them. To turn potential into progress, more is needed than just a few stars. Governments, sports bodies, and private investors must team up by building partnerships, investing in training grounds, leadership, mentorship, and the kind of infrastructure that lasts.<\/p>\nThe private sector can\u2019t afford to sit this out. New models like sportswomen-driven content, streaming platforms, and direct fan engagement can break old barriers. Organisations like Tibu Africa, a leading NGO empowering young people through sport, show how football can drive wider social change by building opportunities and breaking down barriers. Their work reminds us that every girl deserves a shot at the game and demonstrates the impact that partnerships between the private sector, government, and civil society can have.<\/p>\n
Governments must make investing in women\u2019s sports worthwhile, guarantee fairness, and keep things transparent. Regional bodies should align standards, share resources, and channel funds into grassroots development. And media matters too: having more women on camera or working behind the scenes changes opinions and gives new role models the chance to shine.<\/p>\n
TotalEnergies\u2019 partnership with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is more than a sponsorship. It\u2019s a commitment to building African football from the grassroots up, creating lasting opportunities for players, fans, and communities. Supporting CAF helps raise the visibility of women\u2019s football and strengthens the sport as a force for unity and inclusion across the continent. This investment reflects an alignment of values: sustainable development, community empowerment, and celebrating Africa\u2019s potential.<\/p>\n
If Africa misses this window, old gaps will widen, and the chance to lead in women\u2019s sports could be lost. But if we step up now, the rewards are huge: jobs, tourism, and growth everywhere you look. This tournament is more than a trophy. It\u2019s a test of whether Africa will build up its talent or watch it leave. The final whistle will pick a winner, but what happens next will show whether Africa is ready to make women\u2019s football central to its future.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ABIDJAN, C\u00f4te d’Ivoire, October 19, 2026\/APO Group\/ — By Isha Johansen, former CAF (www.CAFonline.com) Executive Committee Member and the first West African woman to serve on the FIFA Council. For years, Africa has been known for its growth story. Investment has flowed, new tech has been \u00a0growing fast, and a young, active population has inspired […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61615,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.africa-newsroom.com\/files\/large\/5b14ba4b5fda813\/200\/200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.africa-newsroom.com\/files\/large\/5b14ba4b5fda813\/200\/200","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/sport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}