Africa Have More Teams but Not Increased Hopes at World Cup

A replica of the official match ball for FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 (L) created by Adidas is seen at the Adidas World of Sports campus in Herzogenaurach, Germany, 03 July 2023. (EPA)
A replica of the official match ball for FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 (L) created by Adidas is seen at the Adidas World of Sports campus in Herzogenaurach, Germany, 03 July 2023. (EPA)
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Africa Have More Teams but Not Increased Hopes at World Cup

A replica of the official match ball for FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 (L) created by Adidas is seen at the Adidas World of Sports campus in Herzogenaurach, Germany, 03 July 2023. (EPA)
A replica of the official match ball for FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 (L) created by Adidas is seen at the Adidas World of Sports campus in Herzogenaurach, Germany, 03 July 2023. (EPA)

More African teams at an expanded Women's World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand this year might mean more chance of improved results for the vast continent, but realistically they may be lucky to do much more than get past the first round.

There will be four African countries in the 32-team field, up from three in the last two editions. But Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia are not expected to make anything like the impact that Morocco did at the men's tournament in Qatar last year, when they became the first African side to reach the semi-finals.

At the Women's World Cup, Africa's best achievement remains Nigeria's quarter-final appearance in 1999.

Of the 16 previous African campaigns at the Women's World Cup, only four have got past the group phase - Nigeria in 1999 and 2019 and Cameroon in 2015 and 2019.

While those last two achievements suggest a considerable improvement in the women's game on the continent, there is still much ground to be made up compared with other regions.

"There remains a significant gap that will still take a generation or two to properly catch up," says Danny Jordaan, president of the South African Football Association, who hopes to further close that chasm by winning a bid to host the World Cup in four years' time.

South Africa will be appearing at the finals for a second successive time, while Morocco and Zambia are debutants.

Nigeria, by contrast, keep up their record of having been to all the finals, this being their ninth in a row.

But Nigeria's place as the dominant force in African women's football has been eroded. They did not even make it to the final of the last Women's Africa Cup of Nations, which served as the qualifying competition for Australia-New Zealand 2023.

Instead, South Africa beat hosts Morocco in the final.

"We've got to look at how our players have matured tremendously over the last four years, and hopefully that can carry us through, but it's not going to be easy," South Africa coach Desiree Ellis told Reuters.

Morocco's coach Reynald Pedros has also been sounding a similarly optimistic note. "The national team has become strong and homogeneous. We have prepared well physically and mentally in anticipation of the World Cup," said the Frenchman.

It would, however, take some upset results and rattling of the established order for Africa to make an impact against the powerhouse teams from Europe and the Americas.



Bayern Munich’s Thomas Mueller Says he Will Leave Club at Season End

FILED - 23 October 2024, Spain, Barcelona: Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller applauds the fans after the UEFA Champions League soccer match between FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
FILED - 23 October 2024, Spain, Barcelona: Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller applauds the fans after the UEFA Champions League soccer match between FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
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Bayern Munich’s Thomas Mueller Says he Will Leave Club at Season End

FILED - 23 October 2024, Spain, Barcelona: Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller applauds the fans after the UEFA Champions League soccer match between FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
FILED - 23 October 2024, Spain, Barcelona: Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller applauds the fans after the UEFA Champions League soccer match between FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa

Bayern Munich crowd favorite Thomas Mueller will leave the German record champions at the end of the season after 25 years at the club because he was not offered another contract, he said on Saturday.
In a message on social media, the 35-year-old attacking midfielder, who started as a youth player and won a record 12 league crowns with Bayern - the most by any Bundesliga player - said he would have liked to stay on.
"Even after all these years, regardless of the minutes I play, I still really enjoy being on the pitch with the lads and fighting for titles together for our team. I could have easily imagined taking on this role next year as well," Reuters quoted him as saying.
"However, the club consciously decided not to negotiate a new contract with me for next season. Even if this wasn't in line with my personal wishes, it's important that the club follows its convictions. I respect this step, which the board and supervisory board certainly didn't take lightly."
He did not make any reference to the next step of his club career.
Mueller, for years a guaranteed starter, had seen his playing time drop sharply in the last two seasons and now only plays a minor role under coach Vincent Kompany.
His future has been the subject of intense speculation for several months but until now, both the club and the player have stayed silent. While there is no indication that Mueller will retire from football any time soon, Bayern have hinted they would like him to get involved with the club following the end of his playing days.
A one-club player, a rarity in top football these days, Mueller also won two Champions League titles, two club World Cups and six German Cups with Bayern among other titles. He also helped Germany to the 2014 World Cup.
Mueller could add more titles this season to his bulging trophy cabinet, with Bayern leading the title race by a nine-point advantage. They also face Italy's Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals next week.
The Champions League final will be held in Munich's Allianz Arena.
"Now our full focus is on our sporting goals for the season," Mueller said. "It would be a dream for me to bring the league trophy back home and reach the long-awaited final at home at the end of May."