NEWS
A selection of FirstTouch's best football writing, brought to you by emerging journalists, collaborators, and fans.
12 National Teams that would have shined in 2020
The greatest honor of every soccer player is inarguably to wear their national colors. Women and men of a select 12 teams did it amazingly in 2019 and could be coming for more in 2020.
“The Women in Football Leadership Programme” – a much needed breakthrough
Lovejoy explores how the FIFA led programme could loop in huge dividends for the global soccer community.
2019; A breakthrough year for women’s soccer
It’s well in the past now, but moments that punctuated the year will forever have a place in the hall of fame of women’s soccer.
Is FIFA's planned $1 billion investment enough for women's soccer?
Wondering about the possible impact of FIFA’s budgeted investment into the women’s game? Lovejoy provides all the dotted is and crossed ts on a silver platter.
How is soccer keeping Niger girls in school?
In a nation where 3 out of every 4 adolescent girls dropped out of school and got married before the age of 18, football has emerged as a powerful tool to keep a substantial number in school.
FirstTouch’s Top 5 African Female Ballers of 2019
Worry not about the so called snoozing and losing, we got Africa’s top female players for 2019 right here.
FirstTouch’s Top 10 Female Players of 2019
Check out our pick of top 10 female players of year.
Put aside the 93% of Spanish women following in the footsteps of the USWNT, protests over pay and working conditions are just starting
Discussions and debates about gender equality in football are all but just starting. A crescendo of the matter is surely at hand all around the world.
With Lyon’s domestic and European dominance, who realistically has a chance to challenge them in 19/20 season?
Over the years, Lyon have redefined the word dominance. It may not be for much longer as they have to continuously look over their shoulders, year-on-year.
Is VAR a superhero or a villain in the future of global football?
Even after having a major run out in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, VAR looked all new during the women’s world cup and particularly the Copa America, dishing out some fresh controversies. Even Messi came out a supposed victim of the technology more than once. But what is it really to global football, a friend or a foe?
The USA are back to back champs. Even though European nations are making progress, substance must always trump style.
A second consecutive and record 4th FIFA World Cup title is certainly something to shout about. The word is dominance, it spells dominance. However, hidden in the narrative are the stern challenges of Spain, France, England and the Netherlands, that the USWNT faced enroute to their 2019 title. Substance did trump style and we get to explore the meaning of the win, both for America and women’s football in general.
2019 WWC Review: After all the African teams failed to make it past the Round of 16, What’s next for the game in Africa?
The progress is evident, but we need more. We look back at Africa’s overall performance at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, seek to understand why, explore some of the challenges plaguing women’s football on the continent and suggest a few solutions.
2019 WWC Review: Five Breakout Stars of the Tournament (Stars of the future)
A 23-year-old all-time top goal scorer for her nation, two young midfield maestros who seemingly drink ice for breakfast, an audacious forward who is in the top 0.01% when it comes to dribbles and tricks, and finally an explosive African queen, the face of the continent’s football both now and in the near future. They are all here. Our fast five of all the breakout stars at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Can host nation France follow in the Men’s team’s footsteps?
A new hunt is on the horizon and blank history books are going to be opened for keen writers to leave their mark. Same FIFA World Cup tournament but this time, it’s the women who get to have their say.
Women’s FIFA World Cup: Group A, “The Group of Death”
The hosts are No. 4 in on world the rankings and will have the home crowd behind them, as they try to duplicate their fellow men’s side, Les Bleus’ title triumph in Russia last year and live up to high expectations in the pool that pundits, arguably, called as “Group of Death”, comprising of the hosts France, Norway, Korea Republic and Nigeria. Below we zoom into Group A of the women’s world cup and analyze each team’s chances of progressing to the next stage of the tournament.
The US may be the favorites, but who could prevent them from winning back to back?
The major competition for the US comes from England, France, Germany and Japan who have all recorded standout performances in the leading up to the 2019 FIFA World Cup, putting them among the favorites to win the title and dethrone the US women from their long-held position as the best team in the world.
FT 2019 Women's World Cup Stadium Guide
A total of 24 nations from the continents of the globe will get a chance to tour and play across nine of the most scenic and historically rich venues and cities in the French nation.
Could any of the African teams shock the world?
In this 2019 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup; Nigeria, South Africa and Cameroon will be there to show the world what Africa has to offer. In our previous article, we gave an analysis of how each of these teams have been preparing for this grand challenge.