Villarreal v Real Madrid CF – La Liga EA Sports

The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams 2024

The African Cup of Nations (AFCON), the continent’s most important international men’s association football competition, is less than two months away. FORBES AFRICA offers some insight into what one can expect in the build-up to this much-anticipated exhibition.



Few times, if ever, has the favorite going into an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament emerged after a month of intense action hoisting aloft the trophy.



But two years ago, at the last edition in Cameroon, Senegal were certainly a sentimental favorite because they had come so close on several previous occasions but never won, and so when they emerged as victors, it was to many neutrals’ delight.



As reigning African champions, that will make them among the fancied sides this time round, which if historic precedence is followed, will not be welcome.



No team since Egypt in 2008 has been able to hold on to the African crown and Ghana and Cameroon are the only other countries able to retain their title.



The 34th edition Cup of Nations will kick off on January 13 and is being hosted in the Côte d&#8217;Ivoire – a second time for the West African country after the 1984 finals.



Then it was an eight-team tournament, completed in the space of 14 days, but Africa’s continental championship is much evolved. This time round, the Ivorians host 24 teams at six different stadia, four of them newly built for the tournament, which will have a bevy of top stars on display, with the ever-increasing number of African players now featuring in the top leagues in Europe.



Their clubs are not happy they will be absent for up to a month but FIFA rules dictate national teams enjoy preference on the players’ service over clubs when a continental championship, like AFCON, is hosted. Ideally, the players should not have to suffer the tug of club versus country.



But this tournament was moved back six months because of concerns over the rainy season in the region and is now being hosted slap bang in the middle of the league season to the chagrin of the clubs who now lose the services of their best African players.



The concerns over the weather should have been raised when the Ivorians first bid to host the finals but are genuine and have already caused much consternation long before a ball has even been kicked.



The newly-built showpiece Stade Olympique d&#8217;Ebimpé in Abidjan, where the final is due to be played on February 11, turned into a paddling pool in September when the Ivory Coast played Mali in a friendly and the heavens opened. There was no proper drainage and eventually the game had to be called off to the embarrassment of the Ivorians.



There were pitch problem at the last Cup of Nations in Cameroon too, to the consternation of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and they can ill afford a repeat this time, seeking to assure that the playing surfaces are of a quality that ensures a good footballing spectacle. French experts have been called in to make sure all the pitches are ready for carpet football once the event gets underway.



If all conditions do turn out to be top class, it is tournament that has the potential to be a top quality event, given the strength and depth of the protagonists.



Of the 24 participating nations, half have won the tournament previously. This time there are no newcomers but some tricky minnows with a proven pedigree for creating carnage. Equatorial Guinea and the Gambia, for example, were giant killers at the last finals and return again with the ability to upset the established pecking order.



Hosts Côte d&#8217;Ivoire, who have won twice before in 1992 and 2015, have a talented squad but are a little short of tournament temperament. They will look to the former England international Wilfred Zaha to lead their hopes and he certainly has the x-factor to lead them to the winners’ podium.



Morocco, on the back of their heroic exploits at the 2022 World Cup, will be the most fancied side but teams from Arabic-speaking North Africa have a long history of struggling when AFCON is hosted south of the Sahara.



Egypt did win in Burkina Faso in 1998 and again in Ghana 10 years thereafter, but Morocco have pointedly failed time and again in the continental championship, particularly when they have been hailed as pre-competition favorites.



Perhaps this will be their time given the confidence they collected in Qatar, where the 2022 World Cup took place, when they became the first African, and Arab, nation to reach the semi-final.



Algeria will have a heavyweight selection of French-born players from the massive Diaspora that they have across the Mediterranean, while Egypt are ever dangerous, particularly if Mohamed Salah is on song. Egypt lost narrowly in the last Cup of Nations finals to Senegal on post-match penalties.



It has been a decade since Nigeria last won the competition but this could be their opportunity again with a squad brimful of attacking talent. It is led by the striker Victor Osimhen, who finished top scorer in Italy last season where he helped Napoli to win the league.



Often times, however, the players’ ambition is let down by the foibles of their administrators, whose incompetence might make things tough for Nigeria to realize its massive potential.



The tournament is being played in Abidjan (two stadiums), Bouake, Korhogo, San Pedro and Yamoussoukro with all but two of the venues built specifically for the tournament.

South Africa v Morocco – Africa Cup of Nations

The Pride Of African Football: A Look Ahead

Young African football stars are embracing the opportunity presented by Major League Soccer in North America as a stepping stone to the best clubs in Europe. FORBES AFRICA was in St Louis in Missouri in the United States for these exclusive interviews, and the numbers are big.



The recent arrival of Lionel Messi has distorted the image somewhat but the reality of Major League Soccer (MLS) in North America is it’s a league of rapidly growing potential, with increasingly promising talent and a stepping stone to the top leagues of Europe.



Football is finding increasing traction in a market where it used to be considered a minor sport and the MLS is changing its image from a league that was seen as the parking lot for fading superstars coming to the end of their careers and looking for a final pay day, to one where the dreams of young players can be realized.



As a result, many young Africans are embracing the opportunity.



“To be honest, I had doubts in my mind because I thought the style of football was not anything like we do back home,” Njabulo Blom, the 23-year-old South African international midfielder who was sold by Kaizer Chiefs to St Louis City at the start of the season, tells FORBES AFRICA.



“I know that the MLS is not rated among the best leagues in the world but the standard of football is very good. It’s not what people think outside,” Blom adds from St Louis, the Midwestern city in the United States (US) where the local club have just joined the MLS and are making waves.



The numbers back him up. As per Forbes, the values of MLS franchises have jumped, since 2019, by 85% on average, with defending champions Los Angeles FC now valued at around $1 billion, breaking into the top 20 in the world. Another example is the value of Seattle Sounders has increased from $405 million to $850 million in just four years, with the team recently becoming the first American side to participate at the Club World Cup.



Revenues have reportedly grown continuously, by 16.6% on average per year between 2007 and 2018 but the spectacular progress is reflected in the price of what new franchises are paying to join the league.



The 10 original clubs invested $10 million each when the league kicked off in 1996 but Portland and Vancouver paid $35 million in 2011. For Charlotte FC, who arrived in 2022, the bill amounted to $325 million.



Average attendances are around 22,000 spectators, a figure similar to France. The record for a single game is the 82,110 that turned out in July at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to watch the Los Angeles derby, dubbed ‘El Trafico’.



This year’s expansion side St Louis City are setting new standards with their sell-out stadium, a brand-new venue and a state-of-the-art training facility next door.



They are coached by Johannesburg- born Bradley Carnell, who played for South Africa at the 2002 World Cup and had a successful career in the German Bundesliga after starting out as a 16-year- old professional at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.



He later earned his coaching stripes as an assistant at Free State Stars and Orlando Pirates.



“They said the expansion job is one of the most difficult in any American sport, so good luck. I was like, ‘Ok’,” Carnell says.



“Then I met the ownership group and spoke to them about vision, passion and what we stand for. There was just too many similarities and synergy there for I think either party. Looking in hindsight, everything just panned out,” he adds.



St Louis are the first new team in MLS history to win their opening five matches and are well-placed for the end of season playoffs.



But Carnell, in a long interview with FORBES AFRICA, insists on patience.



“Short-term, it’s about getting infrastructure, academy, style of play— check those boxes. Mid-term, be competitive — we’re checking that box as well. Now, long-term, can we be really successful? The goal is to be compared, one day, to those great teams in the league already.”



In his playing days, Carnell had a chance to move overseas after being spotted as a teenager when he was competing for South Africa at the under-20 level at a tournament in France.



He thinks MLS offers the same chance to African players, especially those in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League, which MLS clubs are now showing much more interest in. “We just have to lead by example,” he says of the growing South African numbers in the league.



“If we can now, you know, just be key ambassadors for our product back home, and to put other guys on the map because now there is slowly more chatter; there’s a couple of players that are on the radar.”



Last year Minnesota United bought Bongokuhle Hlongwane from Maritzburg United and in recent months the teenager Olwethu Makhanya has moved to Philadelphia Union, while the exciting Mamelodi Sundowns striker Cassius Mailula is now at Toronto FC. 



The attraction of these players is their age. MLS rules allow clubs to take on more foreign players, as long as they are aged under-23, and it is here where Africans are in demand. Other top signings in recent months include Richard Odada (Kenya) and Prince Owusu, a German of



Ghanaian descent, and all can expect to be in contention to move onto a club in Europe in a few years, if they perform.



All can be assured they are on a stage that offers a chance to move on to bigger and better vistas in Europe.



According to the league, in 2022, MLS paid $175 million in transfer/acquisition fees, and for the fourth consecutive year it set a new high for fees paid, double the amount of five years ago. Revenue generated for outgoing players in 2022 was around $100 million. This does not include sell- on fees for the likes of Leeds United’s Brenden Aaronson or Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards.



The figures for 2023 will be higher, especially the sales of players to clubs in Europe.



Blom’s advice to compatriots offered the chance to play in the MLS is: “Come play, because it’s really a great stepping stone to grow. It’s like an introduction to a high level of football.”



Mailula, for one, heeded the advice even though he had become a regular with Mamelodi Sundowns and could have a comfortable time at home, where he had become an almost overnight star after just one season with the Pretoria club. “It was not an easy decision to take, but I feel like I need to get out of my comfort zone, to explore, to get closer to Europe,” he explains. “This is the right decision for my career, for my family also.”



With each excellent performance, of which there have been many this season, the South African players shine a further spotlight on the domestic league and will have more scouts looking at Africa as a fertile ground for young talent.



Hlongwane hit the headlines with his rush of goals in the Leagues Cup for Minnesota, appearing alongside Messi when they were joint top scorers in the competition.



How many South African players in the past have had such a platform? Very few, and certainly none in the last two decades.



The US has a reputation as a land of opportunity, with rags-to-riches tales possible. Football is the new platform for that and with the South African players earning upwards of R500,000 ($26,150) a month at their young age, they are living that dream.

saas

‘Come Play’: Where African Stars Are In Demand

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has long acknowledged the potential of the African continent, both on and off the pitch, but admits much more needs to be done to move the game forward, starting with good governance, before all else, to create the right environment for success.



By Nick Said



IF AFRICA IS TO EMERGE FROM DECADES OF greed and corruption to become a genuine power in world football, then it requires reform and strong leadership, all built around a united front that puts the game first, according to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. 



He has long acknowledged the potential of the continent, both on and off the pitch, but admits much more needs to be done to move the game forward, starting with good governance, before all else, to create the right environment for success.



Former Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Ahmad Ahmad was recently banned by FIFA’s ethics committee, which said in its statement: “In its decision, following an extensive hearing, the adjudicatory chamber ruled that, based on information gathered by the investigatory chamber, Mr Ahmad had breached his duty of loyalty, offered gifts and other benefits, mismanaged funds and abused his position as the CAF President, pursuant to the FIFA Code of Ethics.” 



The CAF president automatically takes up a vice-president role within FIFA, and now with the elevation of South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe to the highest seat at CAF, which was orchestrated by Infantino, there is the promise of better governance and commercialization of the organization’s competitions beyond the continent. 



“Africa has incredible potential, but what we need is to structure and organize the development of football on the entire continent in a way that allows this talent to flourish and obtain results at senior level for men and women,” Infantino tells FORBES AFRICA.



“The question of where and when concrete results will be coming on the global stage is not a matter of ‘if’, but ’when’. But the sooner the organization is done in a coordinated and united way, the quicker this will be.” 



But Infantino admits this optimism can only become a reality if the leadership on the continent, through CAF, are serving the game and not themselves. 



“To compete at the highest level, the organization has to be done in a certain way, reforms need to be implemented, everybody is aware of that, and the unity on the continent needs to be found, backing these projects, which go from good governance, infrastructure development and new competitions, to academies and training for young players. 



“So all of these things are at the heart of the debates we are currently having, and I would wish that the whole continent can unite behind these topics with strong leadership to take Africa to the top of world football.” 



Covid-19 has complicated things for FIFA members the world over, but perhaps especially so in Africa where maintaining health protocols and running competitions at the same time are made more difficult by a lack of infrastructure. But Infantino says he is unwavering in his view that Africa can fulfil that potential if it has the right people at the very top of the game. 



He wants to see Europe’s domination of the sport, both on and off the pitch, rivalled in other parts of the world. 



“The next five to 10 years are crucial. We need to make sure that football becomes truly global. We always say that it is, but if you scratch a little bit under the surface, you will see that top-level football is very much concentrated in just a few clubs and countries, and we need to globalize that much more,” he says. 



“I have been sharing my vision for the coming years, saying our objective and aim is to have at least 50 countries that can aspire to be world champions, and not just five or six. 



“To have 50 clubs, from all over the world, aspiring to be world champion of clubs and not just a few from one continent. 



“We will do that by investing in our youth, boys and girls, with new competitions at regional, continental and global level.” 



Under Infantino, FIFA has increased the number of teams competing at both the men’s and women’s World Cups, providing more opportunity for Africa to sit at the main table. But they must seize this opportunity, he says. 



“Africa will have nine or 10 teams (up from five) at the 2026 World Cup. And they will have four instead of three participants at the Women’s World Cup [in 2023]. 



“So there is a lot of work to be done in preparations for these events, in the period from now to 2025, and that makes this phase crucial for African football. 



“You want to go to these events and play a protagonist’s role, you don’t want to just go back home after three games.”

Giovanni Infantino2

‘More Opportunity For Africa To Sit At The Main Table’

The 2019 season-capping victory for tennis star Ashleigh Barty was one she will not likely soon forget. Her triumph at the WTA Finals in Shenzhen, China, in November gave her a fourth title for the year and paid her $4.4 million, a record for any men’s or women’s tennis event, which pushed her winnings for 2019 to $11.3 million.



The prize money lands the Australian ace at No. 3 on this year’s ranking of the highest-paid female athletes, with a total haul of $13.1 million. She ranks well below global icon Serena Williams, who landed at No. 2 with $36 million, $32 million of which was paid out from endorsement deals. Both were eclipsed by Naomi Osaka, who earned just $3.4 million in prize money but landed at No. 1 with $37.4 million thanks to her own massive sponsor roster.&nbsp;



For female athletes out to get rich from their dominance, tennis is the go-to sport. Nine of the world’s ten highest-paid female athletes make their living with a racket, with the only exception this year being Alex Morgan, co-captain of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, who lands at No. 10 with $4.6 million. The aces can thank Rosie Casals.



Casals, whose 112 doubles tournament titles are the second-highest total ever, was one of nine female tennis players, dubbed the Original 9, who broke ranks with the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association a half-century ago to protest the dollar difference between male and female prize money, which reached as high as 12-to-1 at events. The fight—which led to players including Casals and her longtime doubles partner Billie Jean King being banned from events sanctioned by the USLTA—gave birth to the Virginia Slims Tour, which later morphed into the WTA.&nbsp;



“We knew what we were doing was very important, but in some ways, we didn’t have anything to lose,” says Casals, who will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the tour’s first event next month. “I’m proud to see where women’s tennis is 50 years later and to know that we were instrumental in the success of the game today.”



The U.S. Open was the first Grand Slam tournament to offer gender pay equality, in 1973, but it would be 28 years before another Slam followed suit: the Australian Open in 2001. The biggest tennis events now pay equal prize money to men and women; Wimbledon in 2007 was the last Grand Slam to update its payouts. But it was a long road for women’s tennis players, who faced the same fight for better pay that athletes in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/2020/05/02/federal-judge-upends-us-womens-national-teams-fight-for-equal-pay/">soccer</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/2020/01/14/wnba-players-union-reach-progressive-eight-year-collective-bargaining-agreement/">basketball</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolschram/2019/08/29/this-falls-dream-gap-tour-sees-top-womens-hockey-players-working-to-advance-their-game/">hockey</a>&nbsp;have tackled in recent years.



Outside of prize money, Osaka and Williams remain tennis’ only female superstars, with Osaka setting a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2020/05/22/naomi-osaka-is-the-highest-paid-female-athlete-ever-topping-serena-williams/">record for female athletes</a>&nbsp;this year, beating the earnings record set by Maria Sharapova in 2015 when she earned&nbsp;$29.7 million and unseating Williams, who held the No. 1 position for the past four years.



Osaka scored a slew of new endorsement deals following her back-to-back Grand Slam titles at the 2018 U.S. Open and the 2019 Australian Open, including Nike&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/nike" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NKE</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/nike">+1.2%</a>, which committed roughly $10 million annually to win her away from Adidas. Osaka now has 15 endorsement partners, including global brands like Nissan Motor, Shiseido and Yonex.



Morgan is the lone non-tennis player to crack the top ten, thanks to a massive endorsement portfolio worth ten times as much as her roughly $400,000 on-field salary and bonus last year. She has more than a dozen current sponsors, including Nike, Coca-Cola&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/coca-cola" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">KO</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/coca-cola">+0.4%</a>, Volkswagen and AT&amp;T. Her latest is an Alex Morgan Barbie Doll, as part of the brand’s Role Model Series.



Morgan’s fellow U.S. women’s national soccer team co-captain Megan Rapinoe just missed the top ten with an estimated $4.2 million. Her profile and earnings soared after she led the U.S. to the 2019 World Cup championship as the tournament’s Golden Boot&nbsp;winner and became a cultural icon&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2019/07/22/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Rapinoe.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following attacks by President Donald Trump</a>. In addition to a lucrative book deal, she cashed in with a flurry of speaker engagements, with fees approaching six figures. Rapinoe also endorses Nike, Budweiser, BodyArmor, Visa and at least a half-dozen more brands.



“We can’t be complacent,” Casals says about the ongoing pay disparity between men and women. “We must continue to improve the exposure and profile of the women’s game so the value continues to rise. We were fortunate, but we need more women in places of power in business.”



Our earnings tally looks at prize money, salaries, bonuses, endorsements and appearance fees between June 1, 2019, and June 1, 2020. The time frame means the coronavirus had only a marginal impact as tennis players missed out on prize money from just two and a half months of missed events. But earnings will be down significantly in next year’s accounting. In addition to the cancellation of Wimbledon, the WTA canceled its seven events in China scheduled for October and November, including the lucrative WTA Finals. Prize money for the events in China would have totaled&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/23/sports/tennis/wta-tour-china-tournaments-canceled.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">roughly $30 million</a>. Almost all players will also have reductions in their apparel and racket contracts for not meeting minimum play requirements.



1. Naomi Osaka



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="594" height="401" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/gettyimages-1198783851-594x594-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-45396" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/gettyimages-1198783851-594x594-1.jpg 594w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/gettyimages-1198783851-594x594-1-300x203.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px" /><figcaption>(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



Total Earnings: $37.4 million



Prize Money: $3.4 million



Endorsements: $34 million



Osaka held dual citizenship growing up but made the wise choice to represent Japan ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, now scheduled for 2021. The decision made her an even hotter commodity for Olympic sponsors, like Procter &amp; Gamble&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/procter-gamble" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PG</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/procter-gamble">+0.7%</a>, All Nippon Airways and Nissin, which signed endorsement deals with Osaka to use her around marketing for the Games. Among all tennis players, only Roger Federer made more than Osaka from endorsements.



2. Serena Williams



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="698" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/RTS2LTFE-1024x698.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47139" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/RTS2LTFE-1024x698.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/RTS2LTFE-scaled-300x205.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/RTS2LTFE-scaled-600x409.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/RTS2LTFE-768x524.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/RTS2LTFE-1536x1047.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/RTS2LTFE-2048x1397.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption> (Photo by REUTERS/Carl Recine) </figcaption></figure></div>



Total Earnings: $36 million



Prize Money: $4 million



Endorsements: $32 million



Endorsement partners like Nike, Gatorade, Procter &amp; Gamble and Beats get a boost from Serena’s massive social media following of nearly 40 million fans across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2020/07/21/serena-williams-natalie-portman-and-uswnt-legends-part-of-female-ownership-group-bringing-womens-professional-soccer-to-los-angeles/">part of an investment group</a>&nbsp;that was awarded the newest National Women’s Soccer League expansion team in Los Angeles this summer. Their daughter, Olympia, is also part of the group and at 2 years old became the youngest known professional sports team owner.



3. Ashleigh Barty



Total Earnings: $13.1 million



Prize Money: $10.1 million



Endorsements: $3 million



Barty won her first career Slam at the 2019 French Open, triggering lucrative bonuses from sponsors Fila and Head. She also endorses Rado, Jaguar, Vegemite, Banana Boat, and Esmi. In June 2019, she became the first Australian woman ranked No. 1 since 1976.



4. Simona Halep



Total Earnings: $10.9 million



Prize Money: $6.9 million



Endorsements: $4 million



Halep added her second career Slam title at Wimbledon last year, and her $36.5 million in career prize money ranks fourth all-time. (Williams is first at $93 million.) Halep’s sponsors include global brands Nike, Wilson, Hublot and Avon, as well as several more in her native Romania.



5. Bianca Andreescu



Total Earnings: $8.9 million



Prize Money: $4.9 million



Endorsements: $4 million



Andreescu made history as the first Canadian, male or female, to win a Grand Slam event when she captured the 2019 U.S. Open. The title and her No. 5 year-end world ranking triggered lucrative bonuses from sponsor Nike, which renegotiated her contract earlier in the year. Since the Open title, she’s added deals with Rolex, Gatorade, Canadian paper company Royale, and Sleep Country mattresses.



6. Garbiñe Muguruza



Total Earnings: $6.6 million



Prize Money: $2.1 million



Endorsements: $4.5 million



The Spanish-Venezuelan tennis star’s runner-up finish at this year’s Australian Open was only her second time advancing past the fourth round of a Grand Slam since her 2017 Wimbledon title. But she maintains a strong endorsement portfolio with Adidas, Beats, Rolex, Cesar insurance, Babolat and Maui Jim sunglasses. Her Adidas deal is one of the bigger apparel deals in the sport.



7. Elina Svitolina



Total Earnings: $6.4 million



Prize Money: $5.4 million



Endorsements: $1 million



The Ukrainian reached the semifinals of both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2019, and she matched her career-high No. 3 world ranking. Svitolina counts Nike, Wilson, Hublot, Damilano Barolo wines, and EAFit nutrition products as sponsors.



8. Sofia Kenin



Total Earnings: $5.8 million



Prize Money: $4.8 million



Endorsements: $1 million



Kenin won the Australian Open in January, building on her WTA Most Improved Player Award in 2019. At 21, she was the youngest American to win a Slam since Serena Williams in 2002. Her main sponsors are Fila and Babolat.



9. Angelique Kerber



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1090048146-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47144" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1090048146-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1090048146-scaled-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1090048146-scaled-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1090048146-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1090048146-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1090048146-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



Total Earnings: $5.3 million



Prize Money: $1.3 million



Endorsements: $4 million



Kerber’s three Grand Slam wins since the start of 2016 are the most in women’s tennis. Her most lucrative sponsorship deal is with Adidas, which has partnered with the German tennis star since 2013. Other endorsements include Yonex, Generali, Porsche and Lavazza.



10. Alex Morgan



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="647" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1159663800-1024x647.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47143" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1159663800-1024x647.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1159663800-scaled-300x190.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1159663800-scaled-600x379.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1159663800-768x485.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1159663800-1536x971.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-1159663800-2048x1295.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



Total Earnings: $4.6 million



Salary/bonus: $400,000



Endorsements: $4.2 million



Morgan extended her deal with Nike after the 2019 World Cup with a clause that guaranteed pay for 18 months even if she was not playing. Nike had previously been criticized for a lack of maternity protection in its contracts with female athletes. Morgan gave birth to her first child in May. She is launching her own media company, with more details expected by the end of the year.



-Kurt Badenhausen,Forbes Staff

Rogers Cup Toronto – Day 7

Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2020: 50 Years After Creation Of Women’s Tour, Tennis Dominates Earnings List

Add another zero to soccer’s most expensive rivalry.



Cristiano Ronaldo earned $105 million before taxes and fees in the past year, landing him at No. 4 on the 2020&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;Celebrity 100, one spot above his top rival in the sport, Lionel Messi, and making him the first soccer player in history to earn $1 billion.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The 35-year-old striker is only the third athlete to hit mark while still playing following Tiger Woods, who did it in 2009 on the back of his long term endorsement deal with Nike&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/nike" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NKE</a>, and Floyd Mayweather in 2017, who’s made most of his income from a cut of pay-per-view sales for his boxing matches.&nbsp;



Ronaldo, the first to do it in a team sport, has made $650 million during his 17 years on the pitch, and is expected to reach $765 million in career salary after his current contract ends in June 2022. Messi, who began playing at the senior level three years after Ronaldo, has earned a total of $605 million in salary since 2005. The only team athlete to even come within striking distance of those figures was former New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, who retired in 2016 after 22 years in MLB having earned $450 million in salary. Not even soccer legend David Beckham came close, ending his career with total earnings of $500 million, half of which came from off-pitch endorsements. 



“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of all time, in the world&#8217;s most popular sport, in an era when football has never been so rich,” said Sporting Intelligence’s Nick Harris, whose Global Sports Salaries Survey ranks teams worldwide based on total salary expense. “He&#8217;s box office.&#8221;



Ronaldo and Messi’s head-to-heads heated up in Spain’s La Liga in 2009, where Ronaldo played for Real Madrid and Messi for Barcelona. Their faceoffs on the pitch ignited a nine-year battle for bragging rights as the best — and top-paid — in the sport, a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2019/06/18/the-worlds-highest-paid-soccer-players-2019-messi-ronaldo-and-neymar-dominate-the-sporting-world/#2f9e5b76b55e">highly personal</a> tit-for-tat that had them re-negotiating contracts in lockstep and monopolizing the game’s highlight reel. 



The rivalry was as entertaining as it was profitable, coming just as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2019/05/29/the-worlds-most-valuable-soccer-teams-2019/#1a0fa8ff40d6">clubs around the world</a>&nbsp;were seeing soaring attendance and an influx of television money. The two were perfectly matched for battle, on and off the pitch: Ronaldo perfected a shirtless, stylized showmanship while Messi played the quiet game, always a tad unkempt and as prolific a scorer as he was a wingman. Ronaldo strutted after every goal. Messi was a master at thanking his teammates.&nbsp;



Both backed it up. Barcelona won the La Liga title six times and two Champions Leagues trophies with Messi on the squad. Real Madrid won the Spanish title twice and the Champions League four times with Ronaldo. During their years in the league, each player nabbed four Ballon d’Ors (soccer’s MVP) and their El Classicos, the nickname for their clubs fierce clashes, were record-setting television events worldwide.&nbsp;



But when it came to leveraging celebrity, it has been no contest. Guided by Jorge Mendes of Gestifute, one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbelzer/2019/10/21/most-powerful-sports-agents/#1cc52df93b27">world’s most powerful agents</a>, Ronaldo has amassed an ever-growing following of fans and consumers drawn to his poster-boy good looks, trend-setting hair styles, impeccable fashion sense and, lately, his softer side as a family man whose toddlers pop up on his social media posts. In January he became the first person with 200 million followers on Instagram, part of a social media army of 427 million across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that makes him the most popular athlete on the planet.&nbsp;



Nike pays him upwards of $20 million annually and signed him to a lifetime deal in 2016, making him just the third athlete after Michael Jordan and LeBron James hitched to the Swoosh for eternity. In May, the footwear maker announced the release of a 10-year anniversary edition of his first signature Mercurial Superfly and a child’s version to celebrate his son’s 10th birthday, complete with his famous celebration stance, signature and logo. Pitches for Clear shampoo, Herbalife <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/herbalife" target="_blank">HLF</a>, and pharmaceutical maker Abbott help raise his endorsement tally to $45 million.



Ronaldo, Inc. even has a trademark — CR7, a mix of his initials and jersey number — part of a lifestyle brand that&nbsp;Forbes&nbsp;estimates accounts for a quarter of his annual endorsement income, including branded underwear that debuted in 2013 that was followed by a line of shoes, fragrances and denim wear. He partnered with Pestana Hotel Group in 2015 to open his first property a year later in his hometown of Funchal, Madeira, right above Museu CR7, a shrine for his trophies and a retail outlet for his merchandise. He’s since added CR7 clubs with Crunch Fitness, posts workout routines on YouTube and has attached his name to a social media influencing degree offered by Italian online university eCampus.



And the rivalry is far from done.



Ronaldo’s 2020 earnings include a salary of $60 million, slightly less than last year due to a 30% pay cut he agreed to take this April as a result of the pandemic. Messi, who earned $104 million in the past year after taking a 70% pay cut while coronavirus sidelined play, is poised to surpass $1 billion in all-time earnings as soon as next year, before his current Barca contract ends.



&#8211;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/">Christina Settimi</a>, Forbes Staff, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sportsmoney">SportsMoney</a>

gettyimages-1167251285-594×594

Ronaldo’s $105 Million Year Tops Messi And Crowns Him Soccer’s First Billion-Dollar Man

South Africa’s die-hard football fans bemoan the effect the lockdown is having on the game even as they attempt to keep the conversations going.



With sports events taking a big knock from coronavirus lockdowns globally, the venues and stadiums staging them have closed doors, and no one knows when the stars will come out to play again.



It is heartening though that in some places, local sporting groups, especially die-hard football fans, are keeping the spirit alive in their own way.



Take Football Conversations, a company founded by football fanatic Bandile Roro in 2017 and that is also airing as an eponymous show on Soweto TV.



Along with Tiisetso Mofokeng, the company’s CEO, Roro says the entire football community is in shock as they face an uncertain future.



“Football is about the moments, the comebacks and settling scores and when teams don’t have the opportunity to right yesterday’s wrongs today, then it becomes a problem not only for the football teams, but for the fans as well,” adds Mofokeng.



He says this particular anecdote does not only apply to the 90 minutes on the pitch but also to the information and content Football Conversations beams to the public on television.



“An episode that we air the week before, builds up a hunger and desire for a little bit more the following week and when we don’t get that opportunity to air, that’s how one sees how the pandemic poses a problem,” he says.



The lockdown has affected filming as their shows are usually shot in multiple locations to give every episode a different feel.



But the countrywide infections and deaths have stalled all such ambitions.



“This throws the question of morality; how is content creation important when people’s lives are at stake and that is something we had to understand, but also, on the other side of the coin, Football Conversations creates content as escapism at this time of uncertainty,” says Mofokeng.



“Football Conversations endorses the directive from the president,” adds Roro. “We do believe that this particular period will flatten the curve with fewer new infections and the sooner we adhere to it, the sooner we can return to our normal lives.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The company had signed a procurement contract with a private entity prior to the lockdown, but things are on standstill for now.



Hopeful that the Covid-19 infection rate will slow and the lockdown will be lifted, the duo are now planning their next road trips and a new show, Off Pitch Goals, on players and their businesses.



“We also produce podcasts on Spotify and YouTube to engage with our fans just to keep soccer discussions afloat,” says Roro.



The game may have been affected, but the goals stay the same.

Bandile Roro and Tiisetso Mofokeng at Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg

Alive And Not Kicking: ‘Missing The Great Moments In Football’

Women’s football in the southern African region has picked up pace in recent years, benefiting from some ground-breaking work across all spheres of the sport. Sue Destombes is a key figure driving it. 



The Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) is leading the charge in women’s football, and particularly so, its Secretary General Sue Destombes, who has overseen the introduction of women’s competitions at Under-17 and Under-20 level, to go with a senior championship, in the last year.



COSAFA has 14 member nations across the region, and industry
veteran Destombes is a key figure in driving an ambitious expansion of its
operations that last year saw them host six international tournaments in four
different countries – South Africa, Mauritius, Malawi and Zambia.



Destombes was recently recognized for her contribution to
football with a Lifetime Achievement honor at the 2019 Hollard Sport Industry
Awards.



She has been involved with the organization since the first men’s senior COSAFA Cup was played in 1997, and leads a team that has a heavy female influence, along with the head of the COSAFA media office, Lynda Greeff, and long-serving office manager, Nobuhle Masuku, among others.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="684" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19GCSM0096-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42741" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19GCSM0096-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19GCSM0096-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19GCSM0096-600x401.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19GCSM0096-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19GCSM0096-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19GCSM0096.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Sue Destombes COSAFA General Secretary with Janine Van Wyk South Africa Team Captain and Amanda Dlamini Former South Africa Captain help conduct the Draw during the 2019 COSAFA Women Championship Draw on the 03 July 2019 COSAFA House Pic Sydney Mahlangu/ BackpagePix</figcaption></figure>



In what has been typically a male-dominated industry,
Destombes has managed to leave her mark not only on COSAFA, but also the
Confederation of African Football (CAF) and global governing body FIFA.



“I have never found being a women a barrier to entry in
football, and cannot remember any situation where I felt excluded because I am
a woman, but that does not mean there is not a ‘boys’ club’ environment,”
Destombes tells FORBES AFRICA.



“It is not a problem in the business of football, but maybe on a social level, yes, there can be some exclusion. But I don’t work in football for the social gatherings, so it does not bother me.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="738" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19H2SS0128-1024x738.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42742" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19H2SS0128-1024x738.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19H2SS0128-300x216.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19H2SS0128-600x432.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19H2SS0128-768x553.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19H2SS0128-1536x1106.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B19H2SS0128.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Sue Destombes, Cosafa General Secretary during the 2019 COSAFA U17 Boys draw at COSAFA House, Johannesburg, on 28 August 2019 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix</figcaption></figure>



Destombes says she is pleased that women are starting to
play a greater role in football administration, but says there is a long way to
go.



“In the 54 African member associations of FIFA, we only have
one female president in Isha Johansen from Sierra Leone. But we are slowly
starting to see a change in terms of female representation on executive
committees and even within the CAF secretariat.



“FIFA, for the first time in their 116-year history, have a
female Secretary General in Fatma Samoura (from Senegal), so maybe the boys’
club is being infiltrated slowly.”



Destombes has been determined to help grow the women’s game
in the COSAFA region – but not just for players. 



COSAFA’s mandate includes upskilling coaches, match
officials and even administrators, who all gain valuable experience, not only
from the tournaments that are played, but also from targeted workshops that
leave behind a lasting imprint in host cities across the region.



“We don’t just pitch up, play games and say goodbye,”
Destombes says. “We always leave a legacy in whichever country we are in. 



“We have done incredible work to develop male and female
referees across the region, many of who have gone on to make the FIFA panel. We
have put aspiring male and female coaches through courses to get their
D-License, which is really the first step in a coaching career.” 



Women’s football has been increasing in focus, with South Africa making the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France in 2019. Their coach, Desiree Ellis, has spoken multiple times of how COSAFA helped her mould her squad, and her own skills, by providing quality competition at tournaments. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="663" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B18IIRW0070-1024x663.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42743" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B18IIRW0070-1024x663.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B18IIRW0070-300x194.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B18IIRW0070-600x389.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B18IIRW0070-768x498.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B18IIRW0070-1536x995.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/B18IIRW0070.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Mongameli Bobani, Sue Destombes (Cosafa General Secretary) and Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Deputy Mayor Thsonono Buyeye during the 2018 Cosafa Women&#8217;s Championship Zambia team arrival at Port Elizabeth International Airport on 9 September 2018 © Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix</figcaption></figure>



“It has long been COSAFA’s wish to grow women’s football and
we have made great strides in recent times. Last year was the first in which we
held three women’s competitions in the various age-groups, and we will do that
again in 2020,” Destombes confirms.



“It is about providing opportunity to girls to both play the
game, or be involved in another capacity such as coaching and administration.”



The senior COSAFA Women’s Championship that was held in
South Africa’s Port Elizabeth last year drew bumper crowds, suggesting there is
plenty of interest in the female game from fans.



But finding commercial partners is more challenging, admits
Destombes.



“One of the new tournaments we want to implement is a
women’s club Champions League, for teams across the region. That would truly
catapult the development of the game. But it is dependent on finding commercial
partners.”



That is true for much of the work done by COSAFA. While they
do get funding from FIFA for tournaments, it is a finite amount and does not
come close to covering the expense.



“Our number one challenge is the financial aspect,”
Destombes says. “We are the biggest of the six CAF zones that make up the
continent, with the most members, and we would like to include everybody.



“For example, our women’s Under-17 and Under-20 competitions
had eight teams competing last year, and we would love to expand that to at
least 12 to provide greater opportunity. 



“But that is a huge leap in the budget, so we need commercial partners and bullish broadcasters who want this type of content.



&#8211; Nick Said

Football – 2017 39th CAF General Assembly – Nelson Mandela Plenary Hall – Addis Ababa

‘The Boys Club Is Being Infiltrated Slowly’

Forbes&nbsp;today released its annual ranking of the&nbsp;World’s 100 Highest-Paid&nbsp;athletes, who collectively earned $4 billion over the last 12 months, up 5% from last year’s earnings of $3.8 billion.&nbsp;



Lionel Messi&nbsp;was named the world’s highest-paid athlete for the first time, up from second place last year, with $127 million in total earnings. 



Messi unseats&nbsp;Floyd Mayweather,&nbsp;who held the crown last year, and was the leader four times in seven years. Behind Messi is longtime rival&nbsp;Cristiano Ronaldo&nbsp;(No. 2), who earned $109 million between his salary and endorsements.&nbsp;



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Serena Williams&nbsp;(No. 63) returned to the ranking, after no women appeared in 2018. Cost of admission to the 2019 list is the highest ever at $25 million, up $2.1 million from the previous year. Endorsement income experienced an increase of 12.5% to $987 million this year.



“The global impact of soccer is clearly reflected in earnings in 2019, with the top three athletes on the list being Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar,” said&nbsp;Kurt Badenhausen, senior editor, Forbes Media. 



“But basketball players continue to dominate the top 100 overall with 35 athletes on the list earning a total of $1.29 billion, with 72% of that income coming from salaries rather than endorsement deals.”



READ MORE | <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/billionaires/2019/06/03/artist-icon-billionaire-how-jay-z-created-his-1-billion-fortune/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Artist, Icon, Billionaire: How Jay-Z Created His $1 Billion Fortune (opens in a new tab)">Artist, Icon, Billionaire: How Jay-Z Created His $1 Billion Fortune</a>



The list of elite athletes consists of players from ten different sports. NBA stars lead with 35 basketball players among the top 100, down from 40 in 2018, headed by&nbsp;LeBron James&nbsp;(No. 8 with $89 million). 



Football was the next most-represented sport with 19 players, followed by baseball with 15, and soccer with 12.



There are 25 different countries represented on this year’s World’s Highest-Paid Athletes list, up from 22 in 2018. Americans dominate the action with 62 athletes thanks to the sky-high salaries in the major sports leagues. 



The U.K. has five athletes, France and Spain have three, while Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Serbia and Venezuela all have two.



Methodology:&nbsp;



Our earnings include prize money, salaries and bonuses earned between June 1, 2018 and June 1, 2019. Endorsement incomes are an estimate of sponsorships, appearance fees and licensing incomes for the same 12-month period based on conversations with dozens of industry insiders. We do not deduct for taxes or agents’ fees, and we don’t include investment income.



The World’s Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes in 2019:



<table class="wp-block-table"><tbody><tr><td>Rank</td><td>Athlete</td><td>Sport</td><td>Salary/Winnings ($mil)</td><td>Endorsements ($mil)</td><td>Total Earnings ($mil)</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>Lionel Messi</td><td>Soccer</td><td>92</td><td>35</td><td>127</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Cristiano Ronaldo</td><td>Soccer</td><td>65</td><td>44</td><td>109</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Neymar</td><td>Soccer</td><td>75</td><td>30</td><td>105</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Canelo Alvarez</td><td>Boxing</td><td>92</td><td>2</td><td>94</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Roger Federer</td><td>Tennis</td><td>7.4</td><td>86</td><td>93.4</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Russell Wilson</td><td>Football</td><td>80.5</td><td>9</td><td>89.5</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Aaron Rodgers</td><td>Football</td><td>80.3</td><td>9</td><td>89.3</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>LeBron James</td><td>Basketball</td><td>36</td><td>53</td><td>89</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Stephen Curry</td><td>Basketball</td><td>37.8</td><td>42</td><td>79.8</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Kevin Durant</td><td>Basketball</td><td>30.4</td><td>35</td><td>65.4</td></tr></tbody></table>



-Forbes Corporate Communications; Forbes Staff

gettyimages-1154511682-594×594

Lionel Messi Claims Top Spot on Forbes’ 2019 List Of The World’s 100 Highest-Paid Athletes

From being in the presence of two South African presidents
to high-fiving the third, South Africa’s national women’s football team coach
Desiree Ellis is determined to grab headlines at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in
France.&nbsp; 



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



As the country celebrates 25 years of democracy since the
fall of apartheid, South Africa’s women’s football team Banyana Banyana will
make a landmark appearance at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, to be held
between June 7 and July 7 in France.



&nbsp;The years of toil,
tears and sweaty perseverance beyond the pitch are indescribable for the team’s
coach Desiree Ellis months after qualifying for the acclaimed international
football championship.



When we meet her, she vividly recalls the qualifying match,
one of the most defining moments of her career. 



With 10 minutes left to the final whistle, as tension
mounted on the field, Ellis ascended a ladder for a closer look as history
unfolded, that day in 2018 in Ghana. 



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="410" height="617" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-41373" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer3.png 410w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer3-300x451.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer3-199x300.png 199w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px" /><figcaption>Banyana Banyana Coach Desiree Ellis. Picture: Gypseenia Lion </figcaption></figure></div>



“I knew we were 10 minutes away but in football, anything
can happen,” she says. 



Ellis recalls a previous World Cup qualifier when things
went completely wrong. 



In 2014, Banyana lost to Nigeria during a semi-final
qualifying game. After the match, the mood was somber as the team drove home,
she recounts. It’s moments like those that make this 2019 qualification that
much more precious for Ellis. 



As they faced Mali’s national team, The Eagles, in the 2018
Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) tournament hosted in Ghana, a tired and
overworked Banyana team played to their fullest leaving Ellis with no choice
but to scream in celebration of their ultimate victory.



 “I tried to stay calm so that the players could be calm. They kept shouting ‘manage the game’ and we kept control of the game fantastically. We were leading two-nil and when they said two minutes I could’ve screamed.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“When the final whistle went, the scenes were amazing. Oh goodness, you just didn’t know where to run, who to hug or what to do,” Ellis exults. </blockquote>



A solid defence strategy mixed with a patriotic passion for
both the game and teamwork ensured an eventual win.&nbsp; 



“Many of them were there in 2014 when we didn’t qualify and
for a lot of them, it might have been the last opportunity to go to a world
cup. That really drove them. We needed to take it seriously and make sure we
don’t go to the third and fourth place.”



Armed with renewed confidence and a French translation book
to speak and understand basic French, Ellis is equipped to lead the women’s
team to possible glory at the international championship this month.



&nbsp;She owes her passion
for the sport to her community where she started playing at the tender age of
six. Back then, little did she know how far soccer would take her – or how far
she would take soccer.&nbsp; 



If that six-year-old girl from Salt River, a Cape Town suburb, had looked into a crystal ball at the time, she would have seen herself lead the team she once played for, and also rub shoulders with three South African presidents.



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&nbsp;“When you talk about
significant moments, it most probably is your first game, your first cap or
being made captain but I think those are small milestones. I have had the
privilege of having lunch with the late President Nelson Mandela, with a lot of
other athletes in Cape Town, at his residence,” she tells FORBES AFRICA. 



Ellis has also received a presidential silver medal from
president Thabo Mbeki and interacted with former president Jacob Zuma when she
was an ambassador for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.&nbsp; 



“We played a game in Cape Town during the World Cup. The
game was 10 minutes before the Argentina game, and I came off the field as
president Zuma came on and we high-fived each other.



“It comes with the work you put in. I don’t think many
people can be fortunate to say that they have interacted with all three
presidents.”



Ellis regards the role leaders play as an important one in
relation to sport, particularly when it comes to creating opportunities for the
marginalized.



“When president Nelson Mandela was released, I got the
opportunity to play national football. Prior to that I never played. I was 30
years old,” she says. 



Her unwavering focus on the game, she adds, and the many
sacrifices she has had to make along the way changed her story from just
playing soccer with boys on the streets of Salt River to achieving national
glory. 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="926" height="615" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-41375" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer2.png 926w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer2-300x199.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer2-600x398.png 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer2-768x510.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 926px) 100vw, 926px" /><figcaption>Banyana Banyana Coach Desiree Ellis holds a portrait of the team in 1993. Picture: Gypseenia Lion</figcaption></figure>



Her career goals even left her financially vulnerable, at
times. At the peak of her football career, a young Ellis, who worked at a local
butchery, had left for a football weekend and could not make it back to her workplace
in time to mix spices. That lapse resulted in her losing her job.



&nbsp; “Knowing your worth
can open doors,” she advises as she speaks to us at the state-of-the-art
headquarters of the South African Football Association (SAFA) in Johannesburg.



“Our federation is excited that they took the opportunity to
appoint female coaches for female teams. Most importantly, it is not just
making those decisions in appointing us, but also supporting us.”



Support does not only come from management but also fans who
play a role in encouraging the women to reach their potential – both on and off
the field. 



“We played in Cameroon in 2016 and the stadiums were packed, we played in Ghana and there were full stadiums. We came to Port Elizabeth and they [fans] were the 12th and 13th players for Banyana. The best fans we had [were] in Durban. It was absolutely amazing, and it [support] hasn’t only grown on the stands but on the field as well. The Under-17 team qualified for the World Cup, so it shows how the game has grown,” says Ellis. 



Although local leagues for women have increased on home
soil, there needs to be more opportunities that give African players a chance
to break into the sport and develop their global competitive edge. 



It starts with prioritizing junior levels. 



“Players are getting opportunities to study. I remember back
when we were playing, you were either unemployed or you had a job and 80 to 90
percent of the players were unemployed back then. If you look at the national
team now, 80 to 90 percent of the players have a degree or are currently still
studying. Players are getting opportunities to study or play abroad. We have a
lot of players playing abroad but I think more can be done.”



As a national asset, Ellis argues that focusing on the game
is far more important than worrying about issues that are beyond control. 



Once focus is lost, it manifests in all areas.&nbsp; 



“When people ask me about the money, I tell them I am a
technical person. You tend to concentrate more on your job as a coach and leave
the rest, because you can get side-tracked by all the other things. We don’t
worry about those things,” she says.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="945" height="611" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer4-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-41377" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer4-1.png 945w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer4-1-300x194.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer4-1-600x388.png 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Soccer4-1-768x497.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 945px) 100vw, 945px" /><figcaption>Desiree Ellis and Portia Modise&#8217;s portraits at the SAFA headquarters. Picture: Gypsenia Lion</figcaption></figure>



“As a technical person, your job is to prepare the team, [use] the training sessions to improve the individual and the team. That is why we have a manager, but when it influences team performance, I come in.” 



As the national team jets off to face world soccer, Ellis is
working round the clock to ensure that the team will make the nation proud. 



“Coaching is not just blowing the whistle, there are other
things in between. You need a schedule; people want to know what you are doing.
You have to do reports as well, so it is not about blowing the whistle at the
end of the game.” 



It’s also about analyzing the opponents with the technical
team and coming up with strategies and a definitive plan of action. 



“Playing against top countries is difficult as they play
regularly against other top countries. That is where you want to measure
yourself and that is where you really want to go out and bloom. People call it
the group of death, but it is what it is. We will just take it one game at a
time.



“If we do more, football in Africa can only grow and grow.”



It seems more work happens off the field than on the field,
and Ellis, who prides herself on her technical prowess, hopes Banyana will pull
up its socks and bring home a glistening&nbsp;
cup.

Desiree

How Banyana Banyana Coach Desiree Ellis Has Become A Game Changer

Soccer players from the continent are kicking it up a notch as they become instrumental in their European teams contesting championships.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



A number of African footballers have excelled at their
European clubs in the 2018/19 season, growing their reputations and showcasing
the skill, artistry and power of players from the continent. 



But there have also been some new names to savor, players who
have stepped out of the shadows to boost their reputation and suggest they can
become not just stars in their own countries, but also on the global stage. 



Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet, who led Gambia in the recent
Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, has worked extensively in Africa and Europe,
and is highly-regarded for his tactical acumen and views on the game.



He keeps a keen eye on African players in Europe every week
and says there has been much to admire this season.



“You have to start at Liverpool with Mo Salah and Sadio
Mané,” Saintfiet tells FORBES AFRICA. 



“The impact that their goals have had for the club has been
immense and if they win the English (Premier) League, for the first time in 29
years, this season, then you can truly say this would be a triumph made in
Africa.”



Egyptian forward Salah and Senegalese striker Mane are
arguably the two outstanding talents from the continent in Europe, at present,
but Saintfiet reveals there is much more to admire.



“Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alex Iwobi at Arsenal have
had excellent seasons too, even if their team has struggled, a bit, at times.
But you cannot ignore the contribution they have made.



“But one player that has really stood out for me, who is
maybe a surprise, is Adam Ounas from Napoli. For me, he is the future. He is
only 22 years old, but he is already a fantastic player.”



The winger has had a growing influence at Napoli this season
as they emerged as the only real challengers to Juventus for the Serie A title,
even if they were some way off the pace in the end.



“He can score goals and provide assistance, and at his age,
his potential is simply huge,” Saintfiet says. 



“He played against my Gambian side for Algeria and I saw
that day a player who can become a star of the game. His opportunities with the
national team have been a little limited because of the quality of the
competition he faces, but I think in the next few years, he will emerge as a
top player from the continent.”



Another who was relatively unknown before the start of the
season was Togolese defender Djené Dakonam Ortega, who has been inspirational
for surprise-package Getafe CF in the Spanish LaLiga. Ortega has been virtually
ever-present for the side in what many consider the best league in the world,
and has played a large role in making Getafe challengers for the UEFA Champions
League.



“He can play as a left-back or a right-back, and sometimes
in the centre too, and he has been very consistent this season. He is a very
hard-working footballer who has obvious natural ability,” Saintfiet says.



“I don’t think anybody expected Getafe to have the kind of
season they are having, they have been exceptional. I doubt many people had
heard of Djené before the start of the season either, but they will know him
now.”



Saintfiet is also full of praise for Tanzanian striker
Mbwana Samatta, who has been banging in the goals for Genk in Belgium and
turned them into surprise championship challengers.



“He is scoring a lot of goals, the best season of his
career. I don’t think anybody in Belgium expected Genk to be challenging for
the league, but Samatta’s goals have given them the chance to do that.



“He has made a big contribution to the team and, in my
opinion, he is ready for a higher level [league].”



Saintfiet also pointed out the quality of Ivory Coast
striker Nicolas Pépé at French Ligue 1 side Lille, Burkina Faso forward
Bertrand Traoré at Lyon and Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli.



He has also been impressed by the Champions League exploits
of Cameroon goalkeeper André Onana, who plays for Ajax Amsterdam.



“He is a very good goalkeeper, but you know in the Dutch
league, he plays for a team [Ajax] that is very dominant and so it is hard to
judge his ability. Ajax do not allow their opponents to create many chances, so
Onana is, maybe, not tested as much as many other keepers.



“But having watched him closely in the Champions League, it
is a different story. There he has been able to show what he can do and for a
young goalkeeper, he has acquitted himself very well.



“He will get even better, but he has good physical attributes and comes from a country [Cameroon] that is renowned for producing very good goalkeepers.”



&#8211;Nick Said

gettyimages-1148837644-594×594

Africa’s Stars In Europe

Some African football teams view the exorbitant cost of CAF
competitions a penalty.&nbsp; 



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



In the days before commercialization, when nationalism was
growing and newly, or recently, independent countries looked to make a mark, winning
an African football competition carried great currency.



It also carried the financial backing of the state,
oftentimes, with limitless expense as national prestige and pride were on the
line.



Effectively, national teams and top clubs were able to enter
and compete in continental competitions with little concern for costs.



The downside was that it also meant that football
associations had no independence. Their reliance on the state coffers – meaning
their business – was dictated to them by the government of the day.



That is still a factor in some African countries but these
days, football seeks to stand on its own feet, assert itself and get by on its
own resources – earning revenue from television rights deals, sponsorship
agreements and gate takings, which are all important to fund the expense of
participation.



But the reality of travel on the African continent is one of
enormous expense and football clubs are increasingly wondering whether prestige
and national pride is worth the end result, as they expend great fortunes on
playing against the other top teams from the continent. 



Some nations place more value on it than others. In the
Arabic-speaking north of the continent, the long-time dominance of clubs from
Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia is a source of regional pride and a massive spur to
remain as competitive as possible.



West African clubs still also attach a high value, but it
has been years, decades even, since they were regularly among the winners. The
independence of their football structures nowadays means resources are limited.



Clubs from West Africa&nbsp;
do well with the patronage of&nbsp;
benefactors as was the case with Accra’s Hearts of Oak, who were
assisted by businessman Harry Zakour, in the early 2000s when they were African
champions. More recently, Guinea’s Horoya, enjoys the backing of entrepreneur
Antonio Souaré.



The deep pockets of mining magnate Patrice Motsepe allow
Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa to consistently win domestic success and
qualify for the African Champions League as a result… and be competitive. He
has pumped an estimated R200-million ($14.4-million) into the club over the
last decade and encouraged his coachers to chase African success.



But this is not the attitude of most South African clubs,
who largely see competition north of their border, such as the Champions League
and the Confederation Cup, as a bothersome exercise. They participate with
clenched teeth as if carrying out a chore they have to complete but want to
dispense with as quickly as possible. 



There is a two-fold reason for this. The distraction from
domestic competition that remains a priority for insular-thinking South African
clubs and the exorbitant cost of participation in the Confederation of African
Football (CAF) competitions. “It is money that, quite frankly, would be better
spent strengthening our squad with more players,” says a candid Ari Efstathiou,
the Ajax Cape Town owner who says it costs anything between R250,000 to
R750,000 ($18,000 to $54,000) per game in African competition.



His side are now relegated but just two seasons ago were
competing in the African Confederation Cup.



“Of course, it is an honor to be able to represent the
country but in the long run, unless you actually win the trophy, it is a big
financial burden and there is not much to show for it at the end.”



Travel in Africa is exorbitantly expensive and when you are
forced to move a squad of some 30 players, coaches and support staff around the
continent, it quickly adds up into a massive bill.



Rarely are flights direct, with many clubs using hubs like
Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Dubai and Doha to move from one side of the continent to
the next.



The game costs are made up of travel, match-day security,
hotels, ground transport and paying for the referees. In a bizarre system, open
to much abuse, CAF forced the home club to pay for the flights and the daily
allowances of the referees but have since taken up much of their bill
themselves.



There is still a fulsome entry list each year for the two
annual CAF club competitions and the controlling body will point to an almost
100%&nbsp; success rate in the fulfilment of
fixtures.



But there is a growing sense that changes are needed to make the competition more viable, otherwise they face a slow demise. -Mark Gleeson

gettyimages-106809174-594×594

Can Football Stand On Its Own?

A recent soccer clinic in Soweto had former Liverpool F.C. player John Barnes coaching young girls to become the future stars of Africa.

It’s high noon but the skies are overcast in Soweto on this Wednesday afternoon in October. It is business as usual in this urban Johannesburg township but as we approach Meadowlands, it starts to drizzle.
But rain or shine, at the Fiat Sports Centre here, a group of over 40 girls aged between 12 and 14 are oblivious to everything around them. Their eyes are trained on the ball as they make the most of the day out on the field with visiting retired Jamaican-born professional footballer John Barnes.
It’s a soccer coaching clinic with the star and the girls are wearing big smiles and bright red outfits.
The well-maintained field is separated into rectangles so the groups are smaller and easier to manage. Each section has a coach, balls and marking cones for the different skill-building tasks planned for the day.
Barnes pays close attention to the teams, occasionally offering advice to both the coaches and players.
<blockquote>“It is about empowering young girls and making them feel confident about expressing themselves. It is about making them feel confident that there are no barriers that stop them from achieving their goals,” he says.</blockquote>
The former Liverpool Football Club player and English Football Hall of Fame inductee has been playing football for as long as he can remember., so he only knows too well the preoccupations of these young minds.
He moved to England at the age of 12, and joined the professional ranks at 17 when he signed for Watford in 1981. Barnes later moved to Liverpool F.C. in his early 20s where he played for a decade.
Today, in Soweto, he motivates the girls on the field, goading them on to perform better than boys.
“You have to separate football when you talk about it in South Africa, into men’s football and women’s football. Men’s football is really well-advanced, they have huge support, lots of money, great players, but women’s football is just starting out. It is pleasing to see that young girls are now given an opportunity because young girls in Africa are told that they do not play football but they actually do,” says Barnes.
<div id="attachment_37650" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-37650" class="wp-image-37650 size-large" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JohnBarnes_GL-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="494" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JohnBarnes_GL-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JohnBarnes_GL-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JohnBarnes_GL-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JohnBarnes_GL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JohnBarnes_GL.jpg 1654w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" />John Barnes. Photo By Gypseenia Lion</div>
The girls receive coaching as part of the Goal global community initiative by Standard Chartered Bank. In South Africa, the program was launched in Tshwane in April 2015 and has since reached over 6,000 girls. The target for 2018 is just over 3,000 girls between Tshwane and Soweto.
In partnership with Altus Sport, an NGO developing youth and sport, the 2018 Soweto program includes this special interaction with Barnes.
Former Banyana Banyana player, Thando Dlamini, started coaching at the clinic this year. She says some of the girls lack discipline, and stresses how support from family members and the community can go a long way to help.
“You hardly see any of the parents coming to support the girls. I think if they came to the games and watch the girls, they will realize it is not about the misconceptions. The behavior has changed in some of the girls I worked with. Soccer teaches you discipline,” says Dlamini.
The star of the day at the soccer clinic, Mosima Magome, a Grade 8 student, agrees. She says she has been feeling more confident since starting soccer.
“People would always tease me because I am the shortest in class,” she says. The teenager looks up to global icon, Lionel Messi, because “he never quits, even when he misses a goal”.
Commenting on the general lack of interest in skills-building programs, Altus Sport’s Operations Manager Samantha Pennells says local professional sportsmen should give back to the community as well.
“You got a guy from Liverpool, like John Barnes. He is here in the community; it is not his community but he is here giving advice, giving tips. It was not just about sport, it was about life,” she says.
South African football veteran Steve Sekano, a guest at the soccer clinic, and Barnes share jokes on the sidelines.
The former Moroka Swallows Football Club midfielder runs a foundation within the community that aims to get the youth involved in sport. With hopes that sport will keep them out of trouble, Sekano advocates the need for more facilities in the area. He says that as a former professional, it is his duty to give back.
“People ask me why soccer is not the same as when you guys played. I say it is the same. But when you talk about soccer today, you talk about money. Because our players are earning a lot of money today. Those days, we were not earning a lot of money, we were committed. But our players need to up their game; our game must grow,” says Sekano.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-37649 size-large" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JBGirls_GL-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="494" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JBGirls_GL-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JBGirls_GL-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JBGirls_GL-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JBGirls_GL-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/JBGirls_GL.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" />
For Geraldine Matchaba, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand &amp; Marketing, South Africa and Southern Africa, at Standard Chartered Bank, the corporate world too has a responsibility to prioritize community-based issues. “Those are people who are your future employees, they are your clients and they are future leaders. You have to play a role. It is what we are doing with the Goal program,” she says.
Thoko Phakati, Sports Field Manager, is in charge of operations at the Fiat Sports Centre. The space that used to be a dumping site is now accessible to the community free of charge.
“We believe they also deserve a chance, why is it that only places like the Wanderers Stadium are supposed to look beautiful? So we are doing as much as we can here to give kids a chance. We have people like Steve Sekano who grew up here and became successful but if he were to tell you his story, you will find that he also had challenges growing up,” she says.
Soweto truly is the home of South African football, and the young girls here prove they too can chase a ball for 90 minutes. There is a long conversation to be had about policies that prioritize men over women in sport, but in the meantime, programs such as Goal and footballers like Barnes continue to make sure that new stars are born on the muddy fields of Soweto.
&nbsp;

SoccerClinicGirls_GL

Giving Girls Goals; Soweto’s Soccer Coaching Clinic

Xavi has just got the ball from Sergio Busquets; Casillas makes the run to the edge of the penalty area as he receives the ball, dribbles past one opponent before playing a through-ball for Zidane, who lays it on for Iniesta on the left wing. Iniesta curls in a cross; Christiano Ronaldo rises at the far post to meet it with a powerful header –goal! The stadium erupts in thunderous cheer with cameras synchronizing in a blinding daze of flashes.
Unfortunately, this is not the commentary for a charity match with legendary players from the upper strata of football. There are no cameras in sight and instead of pristine, beautifully landscaped Astro Turf, we have sandy and rocky grounds.
Representing their icons are Obinna ‘Xavi’, Balo ‘Sergio Busquets’, Tola ‘Casillas’, Dayo ‘Zidane’ and Kola ‘Ronaldo’. We are in Lagos, Nigeria, watching the final game between two under-17 teams in the local league cup. The winner gets bragging rights as well as some products from a local FCMG brand.
Football is an overwhelming moment of beauty, spirit and pride and in the most populous country in Africa, that passion is palpable. Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, who was in Lagos at the maiden edition of the AITEO-Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Awards this year, summed up this love perfectly.
“I was told that in Nigeria, football is passion, but it is a lie because it is more than that. In Nigeria, I was told that football is love, but it is a lie it is more than that. In Nigeria, I was told that football is a religion, but it is a lie. It is more than that. In Nigeria, football is life,” he says in his opening address to a room full of corporate executives, the upper echelons of power in government as well as the hall of fame of Nigerian football.
<blockquote>“Football is also business; when we can harness it properly, a lot of money can be made for the country through the game.”</blockquote>
The country’s love affair with the sport has blossomed over the years into an obsessive relationship. At a buka (local restaurant) in Surulere, a waiter is nearly slapped by an angry fan when he mistakenly changes the channel from a game between Chelsea and Man U to Soundcity, the indigenous 24-hour music channel that is a favorite of most of its diners.
After a heated exchange, the manager apologizes for the interruption and the game is back on. Commonsense is restored. Although this is a repeat match, the men watch intensely with the same passion and vigor of a live game.
“We found that football is the main pull for customers to our restaurant. They are passionate about football. It has turned into a family. Our customers come from all over Lagos to watch the games and once they are here, they have to eat and drink so it’s a win-win for us,” says Nnamdi Mayowa, owner of the restaurant.
As he speaks, a cheer rings out from outside the restaurant. Hordes of football fans have gathered to also catch a glimpse of the action and as any good football story goes, it all began with the kick of the ball in 1945.
That year, the Nigerian Football Federation was introduced as the governing body for the sport. Nigeria subsequently began participating in Africa’s Challenge Cup in the 1960s. Since then, the national team known affectionately as ‘The Super Eagles’, have had a fair number of successes. They won bronze medals in the 1978 and 1979 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) and in 1980, they won the championship in Lagos.
In 1984 and 1988, Nigeria subsequently captured silver medals in the tournament. Football had come to stay and with it a number of international stars were born and shipped to some of the world’s most successful football clubs with lucrative deals.
Then came the dark years. In 2010, Nigeria finished bottom of their group in South Africa with just one point from three matches after losing to Argentina and Greece and drawing with South Korea. In response, the then President Goodluck Jonathan banned the team from competing in the sport for two years. Then followed their exit at the 2014 World Cup where they lost to France, and a subsequent failure to qualify for the 2015 and 2017 editions of the AFCON. Nigerian football morale was at an all-time low.
Finally, a shimmer of light emerged at the end of the tunnel. The Super Eagles breezed through their group stage of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers to earn a spot as one of only five African countries to make it to Russia 2018.
They were unbeaten in six matches with four wins and two draws, scoring 12 goals and only conceding four times, an incredible feat that took the team, led by German tactician, Gernot Rohr, to their sixth FIFA World Cup.
For Nigerians of this era, there is no sporting moment more significant than this triumph, especially as it is achieved against a backdrop of a sputtering economy that has gripped the country since the fall in crude oil prices and the Foreign Exchange (FX) fiasco of 2016 and 2017. The 2019 elections are also on the horizon and with it, greater economic uncertainty for Nigerians. The country has been increasingly marred by public dissent reflecting the mounting anger over an absentee president. To make matters worse, Nigeria has more than 300 tribes, making a consensus of any kind at the best of times, almost impossible to reach.
“We call football the unifying factor. When Nigeria is playing everyone comes together, we forget our tribes, we forget our differences, we even forget our religion. We all hug together when we do well and we all sulk together when we lose. Football is also business; when we can harness it properly, a lot of money can be made for the country through the game,” says Akin Alabi, founder of NairaBET, a leader in a wide range of betting opportunities on all sports.
Having attended two World Cups, South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014, Alabi firmly has his eyes set on Russia.
“I want them to get to a quarter appearance. That will be the best-case scenario for me because I do not think we have gotten further than that,” he says.
However, he is quick to point out that this is not Nigeria’s strongest team.
“I think our 1994 team was fantastic. We do not have the caliber of players we had then, but no one has the perfect team out there. This is a national team and not like pro football where you can take money and buy whichever player you want. You have to make do with those that are available from the country you are from. So we are hoping it goes well,” says Alabi.
He believes the prospects of an African country actually bringing back the cup is far-fetched. Countries like Germany for example have a well-oiled football development machine, which helps them churn out a lot of quality players, which any African team cannot match right now.
“The German team is called a German machine for a reason, they have a well-oiled team and continuity. Their manager has been there for years on various World Cups so everything is run professionally. In Nigeria and Africa, when it is time for a match, we just invite players to run and play so that cannot work. We need better development in terms of processes,” says Alabi.
However, Brian Okonkwo is adamant Nigeria will go all the way to the finals. But then again, he would be. As a member of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, he has dedicated his life to the advancement of the sport that saved his life as a troubled youth.
“When I was younger I used to be in an armed robbery gang and we did a lot of bad things to innocent people. I was on a fast track to jail or death but luckily, someone from my family was able to help me turn over a new leaf by introducing me to football,” says Okonkwo.
He has been present in all Nigeria’s five World Cup appearances in the past.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/sport/2014/11/01/african-football-cup-aces-sleeve/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: African, Football, Cup Up Aces’ Sleeve</a>
“I think we have everything it takes to bring this home for our people, the team simply needs the support of the country behind them and that is our job. We are with them all the way and we need the resources to enable us to do our job,” says Okonkwo.
According to the Club’s National Chairman, Samuel Ikpea, the club will take 1,000 people to Russia to cheer and support the Super Eagles. This means 1,000 visa applications, 1,000 hotel rooms and 1,000 mouths to feed for the duration of the Russia 2018 tournament.
“Football is a passion of the nation and we do this job out of love for the sport. We have been in this business for a long time and we are already sourcing for funds to ensure that we get to Russia. Unfortunately, it is difficult because we have not been able to receive any funds from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) or the ministry of sports since this new government came,” says Ikpea.
According to Ikpea, this differs to the previous government who invested $140,000 to help them cover expenses to support the Super Eagles in the last World Cup.
“Teams like Nigeria come into the World Cup and historically something happens. They look great in the qualifiers then everything falls apart, something happens with the federation, somebody doesn’t get paid and now all of a sudden this team is in disarray going into the competition,” says Marcus Dawson, a sports commentator for Metro TV.
In the absence of adequate infrastructure, and in spite of the paucity of training facilities, football is played on streets, paths or fields. The potential of the sport has not been realized in the country due to the lack of support from corporate organizations that only see football as a CSR initiative instead of a lucrative business venture.
As a result, the NFF is fighting to ensure the team has adequate resources to efficiently compete in Russia. According to Amaju Pinnick, President of the NFF, the organization is working on generating $2.8 million for the Super Eagles’ participation in the games.
“Failure is not an option in the FIFA World Cup and we need to come together to ensure we provide the team with everything they need to make it through,” says Pinnick.
The organization receives support from private organizaitons like Aiteo who have a focus on developing the quality of football in Nigeria. So far, Aiteo has paid the sum of $600,000 and $890,000 to cover its contractual obligation of providing support to the technical crew of the Super Eagles for the whole of 2018, well beyond the World Cup, according to Deputy Managing Director, Francis Peters.
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This however pales in comparison to investment in sports by their European counterparts. In a little more than a decade, Germany has invested nearly $1 billion in its youth soccer programs, with academies run by professional teams and training centers overseen by the national soccer association, the Deutscher Fussball Bund, according to a report in The New York Times.
Also of grave concern was the issue of the selection process for the team, which sparked widespread debates across the country. Like the case of Sone Aluko, a professional football player, who is a striker for Fulham FC but could not make it on the coveted team shortlist.
“The NFF is not responsible for making the selection of who joins the team. That is the decision of the coach. I know the story of Sone but unfortunately we are just focused on getting the team ready for Russia 2018,” says Pinnick.
Colin Udoh, a leading journalist and sports presenter, shares his insights on the team selection methodology used by the coach.
“It is the coach that selects not the federation even though they have some sway in the decision but ultimately it is the call of the coach. But yes, Sunday Oliseh, who was the previous coach, said he likes to pick players from the top division and I think most coaches in Nigeria want players who are playing at the highest level and the very best in the world rather than those playing in the lower division,” he says.
Secondly, Udoh claims that most European coaches like Rohr will not admit this is what they do. An additional criteria, which Rohr has also added to this team’s selection process evident in the team representing the Super Eagles, is the attempt to lower the average age of the players to 23 years except for John Mikel Obi, Leon Balogun and the goalkeeper where he is trying to integrate a bit of experience into team. So on these two key criteria, most players like Aluko unfortunately will fall out of contention.
“He is not in the top division and he also happens to be 28 years. I would pick him in a heartbeat but unfortunately I am not the coach. If you look at the way the team have qualified for the World Cup, you cannot argue with the results. Apart from that one loss against South Africa, Rohr has masterminded the success of the team to qualify for the World Cup and it is going to be hard to argue with that result,” adds Udoh.
It has been a long road to get here. Nigeria could qualify through the group stages by having the best balance of exciting promise and solidity. In every nook and cranny, and from every social stratum and walk of life, one thing is undeniable, and that is the game of football permeates every aspect of Nigerian culture, and Russia 2018 is another opportunity for the country to put away the differences and unite for this all-important goal.
After all, football in Nigeria is life.
<div id="attachment_36279" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-36279" class="wp-image-36279 size-large" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/GettyImages-161373524-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="682" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/GettyImages-161373524-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/GettyImages-161373524-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/GettyImages-161373524-600x399.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/GettyImages-161373524-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/GettyImages-161373524.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Nigeria&#8217;s supporters celebrate after their team scored the opening goal against Burkina Faso during the 2013 African Cup of Nations. Photo Getty Images.</div>

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Nigeria; Where Football Is Life

African icon Didier Drogba is switching focus from time on the football pitch to the boardroom as he plots the next phase of his life that has already started with his move to United States second-tier side Phoenix Rising.
The Arizona desert is a far cry from Europe’s elite stadiums and UEFA Champions League finals, but for Drogba, who turns 40 in March, it is an important step in his life.
He admits his playing career is winding down, though in the latter part of the club’s 2017 United Soccer League season he still looked sprightly enough, netting 10 goals in 13 starts for the side.
He perhaps has one more year in him, but for the Ivory Coast star, one of the greatest players ever to come out of Africa, he says he is having more fun learning about the business of football.
He is now a co-owner of Phoenix Rising, brought on board to help the club with their aim of winning one of the four Major League Soccer expansion spots to be handed out in the coming years.
They have missed out on the first two, which were announced in December, but have high hopes for the next award which will be made known sometime in 2018.
“When I had this offer, I was thinking, ‘well, I have been a player before, but never an owner’, so it’s a good challenge,” Drogba tells FORBES AFRICA in Phoenix.
“It’s interesting for the future as well and what I would possibly want to do when I stop playing. I am going to be 40 in March, so it’s about time to think about what’s next. To apply what I was thinking a few years ago.
“The plan is going well; this opportunity is amazing because it puts me straight into what I want to learn. I enjoy more the fact that I am learning a lot about the other side of the game which is very important.”
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Phoenix Rising is a little over a year old, having been formed by a consortium led by local businessman Berke Bakay when he purchased the status of Arizona United.
Drogba took little persuading to come on board as the opportunity to be a “founding father” at a new club excites him.
“It’s an amazing project here, to build a team from scratch and apply for an MLS license. To [potentially] be part of the biggest league in America, it’s a good challenge.
“I played before in this league [MLS] with Montreal [Impact] and I had time to understand the league and the challenges, and to see how this opportunity could become a big one. That’s why I came here, to try to make history.”
Phoenix Rising had a few African players on their books in 2017, including South African Miguel Timm and Gladson Awako from Ghana.
Drogba hopes that his presence, and that of coach Patrice Carteron, who led Mali to third at the 2013 African Nations Cup and won the African Champions League with TP Mazembe, will provide a platform for more players from the continent.
“The league already has a lot of African players, but I hope my presence here will be an opportunity to bring more players and give them an opportunity to get better contracts, to get respected and to have a chance in their life. It’s what it’s about,” Drogba says.
“People say, ‘football players are making money’, but it is actually a way to deliver from this [hardship], it’s their life. It’s a different job but they still have to work to earn their money.”
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Drogba is set to keep playing in 2018, which will surely be his last as a player, though he says he still feels that same competitive spirit as when he first took to the pitch as a teenager.
“I’m having fun and that’s really what keeps me playing because my teammates are great and I feel like a kid when I see the ball. I’m still a competitor,” he says. “I don’t think that is something I will lose one day.”
The Ivorian adds that while he does enjoy being on the pitch, he is energized by what he is learning off it.
“The physique is OK, so I carry on playing, but the fact is I enjoy more that I am learning about the other aspects, the other side [business] of the game, which is very important.”
<div id="attachment_35325" style="width: 260px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-35325" class=" wp-image-35325" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Didier-Drogba-168x300.jpg" alt="Didier Drogba" width="250" height="446" />Didier Drogba while at Chelsea (Photo by Getty Images)</div>
It is then, perhaps, a time for reflection and for a player that won so many trophies in a glittering playing career, most notably with English Premier League side Chelsea, it is hard to pick three moments that mean the most to him.
“My first goals as a professional player, I scored twice [against Cannes in August 1999],” he says after some contemplation.
“Then the year I spent in Marseille. I had the chance, as a Marseille fan, to play in that stadium and it was a dream come true. It is something very special to me.
“Finally, Chelsea – not only the Champions League [win], but Chelsea the club, the people, the games we lost, the games we won, those years are very special as well.”
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And he says he could not have dreamed of the success he would have as a player, especially as something of a late bloomer who only really rose to global prominence when he joined Chelsea at the age of 26, but would later win two African Footballer of the Year titles, among many other accolades.
“I am beyond satisfied, of course I was dreaming of becoming a footballer, playing in big stadiums, 60,000 people and all that, but I never thought that I would go so far,” he says.
“Even if I had the dream, even if I had the desire to succeed, for me football has always been my passion and not my job. Maybe that is why I am still enjoying it now.”

Tag: soccer

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