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While the women’s game is still fighting to earn a reputation in Chile, 9,600 kilometres further east it has long since established itself. In New Zealand, football is the most popular sport among girls, with one player for every two boys at junior level. Out of a population of just over four million, there are already 35,000 women footballers and the numbers are still rising.
Following Australia’s move from the Oceanian to the Asian confederation, New Zealand are virtual certainties to qualify for the finals of FIFA competitions, an opportunity New Zealand Football (NZF) is attempting to exploit to the full. Under chief executive officer Graham Seatter and head of women’s football Michele Cox, the women’s game has witnessed an enormous improvement. The NZF now runs four national teams (U-14, U-17, U-20 and the senior side) and organises a range of competitions, leagues, talent trials and courses. Now the aim is to establish the women’s game with the government, sponsors, the media and the NZF with the help of the U-17 World Cup next year.
At the Corn-Unity seminar in June, held just a few days before the seminar in Chile, the nation’s enthusiasm for women’s football was palpable. Even Prime Minister Helen Clark attended in person, pointing out the importance of the women’s game in New Zealand in her opening speech. OFC President Reynald Temarii also emphasised the social value of the game. The Com-Unity seminar has already had an impact, as the new programme on women’s football that is shown on New Zealand television every two weeks goes to show.
Although the popularity of the women’s game in New Zealand and in Chile is impressive, it is nothing compared with Germany and the US. In the US alone, the 1999 Women’s World Cup final was watched by 40 million people, as Brandi Chastain, who won the World Cup with the US in 1991 and 1999 and now works as a women’s football development worker, told an attentive audience in Auckland.
Nevertheless, this status had to be fought for, even in the US. As recently as 1991, winning the World Cup earned the players a bonus of just 500 dollars, added Chastain, whose spot kick in the 1999 final won the penalty shootout for the US against the People’s Republic of China. Some professionals would not even get out of bed for that.
The figures presented by Doris Fitschen, a women’s international with 144 caps to her name who today works in marketing at the German football association (DFB), were also impressive. More than 955,000 women players are now registered with the DFB, and there are some 6,300 girls’ teams nationwide. Surveys have revealed that half of the 82 million Germans are interested in women’s football. International matches are broadcast live on television, as are key games contested by top European clubs Turbine Potsdam and FFC Frankfurt. That five people at the DFB concentrate solely on the women’s game – a figure that is set to rise to eight – is equally impressive and goes some way to explaining some of the major German successes in recent years.

SISSI’S DOUBTS

It is a view shared by Sissi, or Sisleide do Amor Lima to use her full name. Considered one of the best players in the world in her time, she topped the scoring charts at the 1999 Women’s World Cup with seven goals. Now 40, she travelled to Santiago de Chile as an ambassador to talk about her career and the women’s game in her home country of Brazil.
Sissi, who remained in the US after hanging up her boots, now works as a coach near San Francisco and is convinced the women’s game in South America has enormous potential even though she has doubts about whether it can ever be realised. Chile will show it is possible.
There are some exceptionally talented women players in South America, especially in Brazil, but also in Argentina. According to Sissi, however, the associations are not doing enough to support these players or women’s football. Youth work is a problem, as is recognition of the game. The glaring majority of South Americans continue to ignore women’s football. Interest among the public, not least among the media and potential investors, is extremely low, to put it politely.
Along with other South American association presidents, Mayne-Nicholls now aims to inject momentum into the women’s game on the continent, provide more targeted support and thus make it more popular and attractive.
In Chile, women’s football is experiencing a boom. More and more girls are playing the game, clubs are being founded and leagues are in planning. The FFCH is increasingly involving the media in its many activities. Mayne-Nicholls and his colleagues are being backed by the government, who have already released USD 3.5 million for infrastructure measures ahead of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2008 and also launched a national schools competition for girls in August 2007.
The backing comes as little surprise. Education minister Yazna Provoste, honorary guest and speaker at the Com-Unity seminar, loves football and regularly takes to the field herself. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is also fond of the game and agreed without hesitation to serve as the honorary president of the local organising committee for the U-20 Womens World Cup Chile 2008. The country’s first female president has also added football to the school curriculum.

The first ever Com-Unity courses on women’s football were recently held in Chile and New Zealand. Interest in the courses was high. Overall, the outcome was very positive.

A few months ago, hardly anyone in Chile was aware that their country was about to stage the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2008. The overwhelming majority of people in this long, narrow country on the west coast of South America did not even know Chile had a women’s team.
When Harold Mayne-Nicholls, the long-time head of the FIFA Development Office in Asuncion (Paraguay), was elected President of the Chilean football association (FFCH) and chairman of the Chilean association of professional football (ANFP) in November 2006, he announced his intention to improve the standing of the women’s game in his home country. Along with his allies, the former sports journalist, author and general manager of respected Chilean club Universidad Catolica is well on the way to achieving his goal.
When a FIFA Corn-Unity seminar on women’s football took place on the grounds of the FFCH in June, even the host was amazed. The huge marquee that had been erected especially for the event was packed to bursting point. Some 400 people — the biggest ever turnout for a Com-Unity seminar — flocked to listen to speakers from across the world.
“We were convinced the Com-Unity seminar would be a success,” said Mayne-Nicholls. “But the end result was far beyond our expectations.” Tony DiCicco, who coached the US women’s team to success at the 1999 Women’s World Cup, was also delighted: “A lot can be achieved here, I’m absolutely certain of that.”