News From The African Women's Soccer World

NIGERIA
World Cup Preparation:Destination Austria
Super Falcons will embark on a training tour in Austria as part of preparation towards the 2011 FIFA women's world cup to be held in Germany in June.Nigeria plays their first game against France on June 26th.

GHANA
No Bonuses For Princesses
After the shocking defeat of Nigeria by Ghana's U-20 women's team,the players left camp in dissapointment with winning bonuses unpaid.The GFA has however indicated a South Africa training tour for the Black Princesses ahead of the All Africa Games in Maputo.

Hard work And Dedication Brought Us This Far-Mavis Gumbo
The Zimbabwe Women's Football League chairperson Mavis Gumbo has attributed the Mighty Warriors' resurgence and qualification for the All-Africa Games finals to dedication and hard work.

For the women's soccer team, their qualification marks a new era for women's football in Zimbabwe as the Mighty Warriors had almost been forgotten due to lack of competition. After a poor start in the friendly matches they played against South Africa's Banyana Banyana one could have been excused for doubting the Mighty Warriors' pedigree.
But it takes courage and determination when faced with such a daunting situation.
The 46-year-old Gumbo and her crew have proved that.The ZWFL boss said there was no time to rest as they have a busy schedule in preparation for the All-Africa Games finals. The Mighty Warriors are first scheduled to compete in the Cosafa tournament in Reunion in July and Gumbo indicated they would need more resources for their dream to be a reality.
"Nobody has come in a big way, that's why I am calling on the corporate world to come on board. We have a busy schedule ahead of us.
"We have the tournament in Reunion coming from July 2-9 and the Germany tour from July 22 to August 7 and we are busy working on that and to me that's something positive.
"It will also be part of the preparations for the All-Africa Games. We are not looking back anymore and we have to continue engaging other big countries.
"We want to have as many friendlies as we can. Nomsa (Mahlangu) from South Africa asked for an international friendly and we are still to finalise on the dates.
"Perhaps after Germany we will try to engage one of the countries from West Africa so that we can have a feel of their play," said Gumbo.
She said despite facing some challenges along the way to revive women's football, her dedication has kept her going for the past year.
"Dedication and devotion has kept me going. My strength is in the Government and in the people. I am a public relations person and I have a lot of people who support me behind the scenes.
"The branding team is doing well. I also have two wonderful girls who keep me going. Besides, my greatest inspiration is from the girl child in the remote area whose love for football never die. I am doing something good in my life.
"I am doing this for my mother, she is the one who brought me up and taught me not to give up easily and I owe it to her. She passed away in September, 2008," said Gumbo.
Gumbo urged the corporate world to come in and support the girl child.
"I am appealing to the corporate world now that they have seen that there is light at the end of tunnel. We need a lot of resources to make them scale greater heights. We won't disappoint as long as there are resources.
"What a boy can do a girl can do even better. A girl has got more talent . . . Girls do it more heartedly and now that there is light, people are starting to appreciate," added Gumbo.
Gumbo said they are working hard to ensure that the team will be well prepared when they take part in the Maputo Games.
"We are hoping to fly the Zimbabwean flag high. By the time we go to Mozambique, we would be ready. We will be facing giants such as Ghana, Cameroon and South Africa and that's why we engaged Maxwell Takaendesa Jongwe in the technical team and he has been very helpful ever since he came to assist the girls," said Gumbo.
The veteran administrator said they are hoping to start the national league at the end of this month with nine teams competing. The teams are New Orleans, Faith Drive Queens, Cyclone Stars, COSA Guruve, Black Rhinos Queens, Flame Lily Queens, Masvingo Queens, Chipembere Queens and Mufakose Queens.
She also indicated that there is need to develop junior players who would feed into the national teams, starting with the provinces up to national level and they have put structures in place for the programme.
allafrica.com