AFRICANEWS
MalawiBalancing the soccer fieldWomenby Hamilton Vokhiwa
When the United States hosted and won the second women's soccer World Cup title in July, the whole world shared the glory of the women breakthrough in the hitherto men-only sport. Right from the opening on June 13, the tournament attracted enthusiastic throngs of crowds eager to witness the game. But while the Americans triumph over China in the final was international news, a similar though less known soccer fiesta had gripped Malawi six months earlier. Early this year, the country staged its first women's football tournament and which attracted large crowds of spectators. Most of the fans did not expect much from the rare event but were impressed by the outcome of the games. The women exhibited some skill in ball control and passes. Some seemed to play much better than male footballers seen on the pitch in recent years. The female players proved that given enough training and sponsorship coupled by individual commitment they could put Malawi at a higher level in women soccer. This is in a continent that has few countries with teams that can emulate the likes of those from the US, China, Brazil, Norway and Sweden. These countries are the supremos in the world of women soccer. However, despite the optimism the picture of women soccer in Malawi is rather blurred. This is due to lack of sponsorship. Initially there was a glimmer of hope when a national women soccer grouping was launched under the sponsorship of Population Services International (PSI). Since then nothing or little else has been heard about women soccer apart from calls for funding. One of the messages of the appeal says, "The present position is that only one team is alive and well but all the others are no longer active." At the same time the tournament's Publicity secretary Martha Nyekanyeka accuses the players of "being interested in allowances as was the case during the tournament - something that is not applicable at the moment." This lack of sponsors may be linked to the fact that majority of soccer supporters in the country prefer men's soccer that has over the ages produced adored players. It is gender preference that has seen the major companies in Malawi like the giant cigarette manufacturer BAT, support some of the strongest teams in the country. Bata Shoe company is also another company that sponsors a team with some of the country's top players. Politicians have not been left out. Currently nearly every Member of Parliament belonging to the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) party sponsors a trophy bearing his name in his constituency. Such is the background in which the infant Malawi women soccer teams find themselves. At the moment none of the 16 female MPs in the National Assembly sponsors any sport tournament like their male counterparts. They have even ignored the women only netball game. This is despite the fact that the country's netball team is rated the eighth best team in the world. That is discouraging if one considers the fact that Malawi men's national football team has in recent years been doing badly, losing game after game at the international level yet sponsors are fighting to sponsor it. However, these determined Malawian women can take solace in the fact that trends are changing as some African governments have started taking women soccer seriously. An example is Nigeria which made it to the quarter finals of the tournament. This was the third time that the country has represented the continent in the event. Apart from Nigeria, Ghana was Africa's other representative. Nigeria's success was celebrated all over Africa since it marked a milestone in women soccer involving African girls most who could be wed before they reach their late teens.
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