Women’s football in Africa did not gain international recognition until 1988 when FIFA invited Ivory Coast to represent the continent at the trial tournament for women footballers in china.

Since then women football has been active in Africa. Nigeria dominated women football since it was first played in 1991. In 1995, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006 Nigeria was the only winner. But In the 6th AWC edition in Guinea Equatorial, a new sleeping giant woke up and turned the table over to beat Nigeria and won the 2008 AWC 6th edition. It is Guinea Equatorial which changed the map of women football in Africa.
 
CAF development programme took great boost in women football. First continental course was held in 2004 during the 4th AWC in South Africa. All CAF member associations sent their elite candidates in charge of women football, some were men and some were women. FIFA instructors joined in conducting this course.

To keep the pace of development, other women coaching course was held in Kenya in 2005 mixed with men to exchange experiences. The Technical and development committee decided to organize regional coaching courses for only women and also the referees committee decided also that only women officiate for women. No longer men to officiate in CAF competitions.

Also two women coaching courses were organized on linguistic basis, Francophone in Togo and Anglophone in South Africa in 2007. All participants were evaluated and the elite’ ones were given a diploma to become instructors.

“This course in Tanzania which started on the 17th of December is a Continental refresher coaching course for the elite women instructors. The names were selected according to the performance of the participants during the previous courses. The main condition of accepting women instructors in this course is to be active and functioning in the federation.

We need the instructor to disseminate information and knowledge to the women coaches in her association,” Said Abdel Moneim Hussein, CAF director of football development division. “Fortunately all of the women instructors who attended this refresher course are active and working closely with the technical directors of the member association. They gained experience and became mature,” said Abdel Moneim.

He said that the contents of the course consisted of very important and crucial topics in women football, development of the game and major trends, Physiological Characteristics of Female Footballers, traditions, religion and culture and their effect on the progress of women football. All the topics were discussed in groups and a feed back was reported to take the necessary recommendations.

 The participants were provided with necessary materials: DVDs, documents, technical and analysis reports of the 6 th AWC in Guinea Equatorial and other new coaching exercises in women football development.

“One of the teaching staff was Fran Hilton-Smith from South Africa. She is the first woman instructor in Africa. She is a FIFA and CAF instructor. She is in charge of women football in South Africa for 20 years. CAF depends on her experience for the development of women football in Africa” Said Abdel Moneim.  

Among other notable names are Dominique Niyonzema from Burundi and Ulric Mathiot from Seychelles who contributed to the course which attracted participants from 42 countries. The course was held from 17 to 22 December 2008.