A Long Shot on the Continent

The Women’s African Cup of Nations is set to kick off in Morocco, but behind the scenes, there’s a more nuanced story unfolding. Only four out of 16 participating teams have female head coaches, highlighting Africa’s lagging progress in promoting women to top coaching positions.

In South Africa, Desiree Ellis has been at the forefront of this movement. As one of the world’s most successful female coaches, she led her country to a 2022 title and emphasizes the need for federations to be brave in appointing female coaches. “They need to not just appoint them but give them support, otherwise they are not going to succeed,” Ellis said.

This sentiment is echoed by Jackline Juma, head coach of Kenya’s U-20 women’s team, who attributes the lack of trust in women as a major obstacle. “They still don’t give them chances… the support is not as much as for male coaches,” Juma points out. She advocates for restricting club licensing to prioritize female coaches for top positions.

In contrast, Europe has made strides in recent years. While only seven out of 16 teams had female coaches at the Women’s Euro 2022, it’s an improvement from previous tournaments. However, even in England – where the national team is led by a woman – female coaches remain a minority in the country’s top domestic league.

Vicky Huyton’s advocacy for clear pathways to coaching positions takes on added significance against this backdrop. As founder of the Female Coaching Network, she notes that aspiring coaches face significant barriers: “They don’t know how to take that route… that’s not necessarily the coach’s fault, that’s the federation or governing body who aren’t reaching out to these women and saying ‘if you want to be national team coach, this is what you have to do.’”

The recent appointment of Lamia Boumehdi as U20 coach of Morocco offers a glimmer of hope. So too does the success of young coaches like Adelaide Koudougnon, Carol Kanyemba, and Mildred Cheche – all examples cited by Ellis of women on the rise.

However, it’s clear that Africa still has a long way to go. The lack of representation at the top level reflects deeper structural issues within the sport itself. Until governing bodies and federations prioritize women’s coaching development, progress will remain slow and uneven.

As the Women’s African Cup of Nations gets underway, attention will inevitably focus on the stars on the pitch. But behind the glamour lies a pressing question: what does it take to break down barriers and give women a genuine shot at top coaching positions? The answer requires a fundamental shift in how we approach women’s football development – one that puts the needs of aspiring coaches front and center.