Support women’s football after the trophy

National pride lasts a weekend. A football career needs support through the season.

OPINION · THE DAILY PULSE EDITORIAL

The photographs look wonderful: a lifted trophy, a flag around someone’s shoulders, a country suddenly saying “our girls”. The harder moment is the next match, away from the celebration. Will anyone know when it starts? Will the players have the conditions to build a career after delivering that moment of pride?

Our argument is that the most useful support happens after the celebration. A national team cannot be the entire football ecosystem. Players also need regular competition, coaching, facilities and an audience that recognises them when they are not representing the flag.

Prize money is a beginning

CAF reported that Nigeria’s winners’ award for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, played in 2025, was US$1 million, double the previous edition. That is a meaningful tournament development. It is not evidence that every domestic women’s club has become financially secure.

The distinction matters. A bigger award at the top can coexist with difficult conditions below. Our view is that success should also be measured in the reliability of fixtures, training access and the pathways available to a girl who wants to play.

Fans need an invitation they can use

Telling people to support a team is not enough if finding a fixture or following a result takes unnecessary effort. Clubs and media organisations can help by making match information, player stories and coverage easy to find.

Sponsors should look beyond the one photograph that follows a major victory. Consistent support for a season can build familiarity. Familiarity gives audiences a reason to care about the next match, rather than rediscovering a team every few years.

There is a fair challenge here: supporters cannot be ordered to enjoy a competition, and businesses need a plausible return. The response should be better presentation and sustained investment, not guilt. Attention is earned through the product people can watch, the stories they understand and the habits they develop.

This conversation belongs in Morocco and Nigeria, in Southern Africa and across the continent’s other football communities. The practical obstacles and opportunities will differ. We should hear from players and local supporters instead of assuming that one country’s solution fits everyone.

The test of our enthusiasm is the next ordinary weekend. Would we know who is playing? Could we watch or attend? Would a young player see a future beyond the national-team highlight reel? Those questions deserve space alongside the trophy.