With much hype surrounding the upcoming men’s 2014 Orange African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa, let’s not forget about the phenomenal African women football players who represent the participating countries. With amazing skill and dedication, these women leave it all out on the field every time they step onto the pitch.
Noko Matlou, nicknamed “Beep Beep” for her speed and likeness to the cartoon character Road Runner, plays for the South African Bayana Bayana football club. While she plays striker, she’s developed a reputation for being able to score from nearly any position, and was named the Sportswoman of the Year in South Africa in 2011.
Perpetua Nkwocha – Nigeria
While midfielder Perpetua Nkwocha currently plays for Sweden’s Sunnanå SK football club in Skellefteå, she continues to play for Nigeria’s national team and has served as captain for many years. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) voted her African Woman Footballer of the Year four times (2004, 2005, 2010, and 2011), and she has firmly established herself as one of the greatest in the game.
Mercy Myles – Ghana
Midfielder Mercy Myles has begun to make a name for herself, captaining the Ghanaian women’s under-20 team in 2010 and 2012, and she’s poised to make big contributions throughout her career. She is known to be an excellent passer and intelligent player, and will undoubtedly be a pleasure to watch for years to come.
Cynthia Uwak – Nigeria
Cynthia Uwak seems to have traded off African Woman Footballer of the Year with fellow Nigerian Nkwocha, as she earned the title in both 2006 and 2007. The striker currently plays for the PK-35 Vantaa football club in Finland, though she has also played in France and Germany earlier on in her career, but contributes her talents to the Nigerian national team for international competitions.
Rudo Neshamba – Zimbabwe
Forward Rudo Neshamba has earned the adoration of her fans with her ability to score prolifically in nearly every game, and recently she helped lead her team to a first-place finish at the 2011 COSAFA Women’s Championship. She plays for her home country’s team, the Mighty Warriors.
Adjoa Bayor – Ghana
Adjoa Bayor is credited with helping to increase the popularity of women’s football in Africa, and earned the CAF African Footballer of the Year title in 2003. She served as captain for Ghana’s Black Queens team for years with many triumphant seasons, and has recently joined the German football club, Universitätssportverein Jena (or USV Jena).
Genoveva Añonma Nze – Equatorial Guinea
Genoveva Añonma has quickly become one of Equatorial Guinea’s best players, and one of the most recognized female stars in the CAF. Recently named the African Women Footballer of the Year in 2012, she plays for the German football club USV Jena (along with Adjoa Bayor) when not representing her home country internationally, and became the first foreign player in the German league to be the season’s top scorer in 2011-2012.
Desire Oparanozie – Nigeria
Forward Desire Oparanozie also plays in Germany for the Vfl Wolfsburg football club, but has participated as a member of the Nigerian national team since the 2011 World Cup. She made a name for herself as a junior international player, and is known for coming through with big goals when a game is on the line.
Janine Van Wyk – South Africa
One of the few defenders of this list, Janine “Mlungu Booth” Van Wyk is a talented and classy player for South Africa’s Banyana Banyana. She was named the 2011 COSAFA Women’s Championship Best Player, and consistently provides an insurmountable barrier for opponents to break through on the pitch.
Gloria Chinasa – Equatorial Guinea
Gloria Chinasa, who plays as both midfielder and forward, currently plays for the Polish football club Unja Racibórz and has helped the team solidify its position as reigning champions. Internationally, she competes for Equatorial Guinea (though she was born in Nigeria, she became a naturalized Equatoguinean at a young age), and in 2006 scored the first goal in the country’s history in the African Women’s Championship.