Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt will have to wait even longer for their shot at lifting the flagship trophy of women’s football for the first time.
Since the launch of the Women’s AFCON in 1998, no North African side has managed to win the tournament. All thirteen previous editions have been won by Sub-Saharan teams.
To break down the reasons behind this prolonged drought for North African teams at the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations, Foot Africa sought the insight of Naïma Laouadi, former captain of the Algerian women’s national team and current head of women’s football at JS Kabylie, who shared her thoughts on the matter.
Sub-Saharan players are strong and robust from an athletic point of view. They outpace the North Africans in this area. I’d say their physical build gives them a huge advantage in winning duels and imposing their rhythm. Obviously, athleticism is crucial in top-level football, especially when it comes to physical impact.
The difference, then, lies mainly in physical build, athleticism and strength. However, women’s football is evolving, and our players are working hard to reach that level.
Morocco and Algeria had a very strong campaign this time and could bridge this athletic gap in the coming years.
Let’s not underestimate the sporting merit of Sub-Saharan teams, who are also making strides mentally and physically.
It’s clear that African women’s football is in full evolution and could become increasingly competitive on the international stage in the years ahead, with the emergence of new generations of players and ongoing improvements in infrastructure, training and support.
Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.
