Women’s Football In Ghana

Bronze Winning Maidens

Women’s football in Ghana which started in the early 1990’s has seen less improvement as up to date, there is no corporate sponsor for the women’s football league which started last year December.

After the launch of the Zonal women’s league in 2006, the football fraternity was expecting the kick-off of the women’s league in 2007. The President of Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi had already confirmed that the GFA was still in talks with sponsors for the game and expects a deal to be reached in order to pave way for the commencement of the national women’s league.  

However, this never came to fruition until 4^th December 2012 where the Football Association launched its maiden edition for the league which eventually kicked off on 16 December, 2012. Why such a long period? The various stakeholders have not prioritized women’s football as attention and interest have always been on male national teams.

With respect to international tournaments, even though some level of attention was put on women’s football, several achievements have been chalked by them and notable of them was the feet chalked by the under 17 national team the Black Maidens as they placed third at the FIFA world cup in Azerbaijan last year under the tutelage of Kumasi Asanti Kotoko coach Mas Ud Didi Dramani.

Again the Black Queens have won three silver medals on the continent with two of their players namely Alberta Sackey and Adwoa Bayor winning the women’s footballer of the year awards in 2002 and 2003 respectively. Even when the country has struggled to have a proper structured football league for women coupled with they not given the kind of support and sound financial backing as their male counterparts are entitled to, they still did something for the country.

Champs Hasaacas Ladies

Even with the commencements of the national women’s league last year, the GFA was unable to secure funding for the competition as the association funded the entire competition. This should not have happened if there was sponsorship for the maiden competition which saw southern sector group winners, Hasaacas Ladies defeating Fabulous Ladies from the northern sector 2-1 to be crowned champions of the inaugural Ghana Women’s League competition.

According to a member of the women’s league board Leannier Addy, she stressed that the completion was faced with funds and added there are no laid down structures for the league. If this year will see a similar competition, the GFA has a lot of work to do by way of securing sponsors before the competition starts.

Women’s football in Ghana has received less attention by all stakes involved. If the process is not adequately managed, it will gradually leads to the total collapse of women’s football which will be very difficult to revive.