IWD: Meet Africa queens who lead from the pitch, coaching, to management

African sports have come a long way from Lagos to Lesotho, to Cairo, to Rabat, to Johannesburg, female sports have taken a turn for the better.

From shattering stereotypes and glass ceilings, female players, coaches and referees are redefining the games across the continent.

For many of these women, the sports arena is a no gender environment, and have over the years take up positions that eitherto were reserves of the men.

For instance, coaching for a long time used to be dominated by men even in women’s games; you hardly see women in the bench as coaches.

But, all that have been thrown into the history can as soem female trailblazers have proved that women have what it takes to nurture, lead, and officiate at the highest levels, from football to basketball, boxing and tennis: the women are now donimating.

For example, in Nigeria Rena Wakama was appointed as the first female coach of the D’Tigress, Nigeria’s national female basketball team.

Under her leadership, D’Tigress, became the second team to win the women’s Afrobasket championship four times after Senegal won four consecutive titles and also picked an Olympics for the Paris 2024 Games.

Another Nigerian is Ngozi Eucharia Uche, who also played football at the highest level before moving into coaching with the Nigerian women’s national football team, the Super Falcons.

She has served as both the first female assistant coach and also the first female head coach of the Super Falcons and is also a FIFA and CAF instructor.

Read also: IWD 2025: Celebrating 8 Nigerian women placing Nigeria on the global sports map

Mfon Udoka is another Nigerian-American former professional basketball player who at a time was an assistant coach of D’Tigress. Born in Portland, Oregon, Udoka graduated from Benson Polytechnic High School (1994) in Portland before attending DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois from 1994 to 1998. She is the older sister of coach and former NBA player Ime Udoka.

Away from coaching are women who are trailblazers in refereeing on the continent.

If there is one authority on the pitch, it is the referee—and African women are breaking barriers in this field as well.

Salima Mukansanga, from Rwanda, has established herself as a leading referee on the continent.

In 2022, she made history by becoming the first woman to officiate a CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) match, taking charge of the game between Zimbabwe and Guinea.

Another major force in football administration is Fatma Samoura, who made history as the first woman and first non-European to serve as FIFA Secretary General. During her seven-year tenure, she was instrumental in developing women’s football worldwide.

Just as women are making it big in coaching across Africa, some are regarded as queens of the pitch on the back of their exploit on the pitch.

African female footballers have come a long way since the first-ever goal scored by an African woman at a FIFA Women’s World Cup. In 1995, during the tournament in Sweden, Nigeria’s Rita Nwadike made history by surprising the Canadian defense with a deep run before finishing with a goal.

Since then, African women have continued to shine on the global stage. Asisat Oshoala have been Africa’s best back-to-bqck-bqck, while Ajara Njoya Nchout of Cameroon scored a dramatic last-minute winner against New Zealand at the World Cup.

African female footballers continue to make history. In 2023, Zambia’s Barbra Banda scored the 1,000th goal in Women’s World Cup history with a penalty against Costa Rica, cementing her legacy.

Meanwhile, her compatriot Racheal Kundananji became the most expensive African female footballer ever after joining Bay FC in the NWSL for $865,000 in 2024.

However, this record was soon shattered by Ethiopian-American star Naomi Girma, who transferred from San Diego Wave to Chelsea in 2025 for $1.1 million.

Beyond their on-field performances, these women continue to redefine football’s cultural and social landscape.

In 2023, Morocco’s Nouhaila Benzina became the first hijab-wearing player to compete at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, a historic moment that symbolized greater diversity and inclusion in football.

Meanwhile, Khadija Timera, a lawyer and former boxer, is championing African players’ rights at FIFPRO, the world’s largest footballers’ union.

As the first African woman to join FIFPRO’s executive committee, the Senegalese professional is pushing for better conditions and career opportunities for African footballers.

“I want to connect with people who share the same goals—those who want to leave a legacy and make a real difference, not only for footballers but also for the African community. Opening doors for future generations is my mission,” she stated.