In African Women’s Soccer, Homophobia Remains an Obstacle

[joeybee12]

Shortly before she was hired in 2009 as the first female coach of Nigeria’s powerful women’s national soccer team, Eucharia Uche said at a seminar that she was troubled by the presence of lesbians on the squad, calling it a “worrisome experience.”

Over the past two years, as Nigeria progressed toward the Women’s World Cup, which begins Sunday in Germany, Uche said that she has used religion in an attempt to rid her team of homosexual behavior, which she termed a “dirty issue,” and “spiritually, morally very wrong.”

FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, states as part of its mission a desire to use the game in “overcoming social and cultural obstacles for women with the ultimate aim of improving women’s standing in society.” But the story of Nigeria’s Super Falcons illustrates the cultural obstacles that remain for many African women who play soccer decades after more assertive efforts at inclusivity occurred in places like the United States, Germany, Norway, Sweden and more recently in Brazil.

Japan and North Korea have recently supplanted China as Asian powers. For the first time, Colombia has qualified for the Women’s World Cup, a quadrennial tournament that began in 1991 and now includes 16 teams. Equatorial Guinea from west-central Africa will also make its inaugural appearance, and Nigeria will participate for the sixth time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/sports/soccer/in-african-womens-soccer-homophobia-remains-an-obstacle.html?_r=1&hpw

Frightening how stupid this coach is.

[Chovexani]

1. Good luck winning without the lesbians

She better hope Jesus knows how to make a run.

[mitchtv]

2. +1

good luck indeed