Africa's Women's Football Coaches Rise From 17% to 25%

When the Women's African Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco this July, something historic is happening off the pitch. One in four teams will have a female head coach, up from just one in six last year.

The numbers tell a story of progress. Four nations now have women leading their teams: Zambia, Kenya, South Africa, and Cameroon, which made its appointment just weeks before the tournament.

South Africa is showing the rest of the continent how it's done. Coach Desiree Ellis has been named African Women's Coach of the Year four times and led her team to the 2022 title. Her success isn't an accident.

"Our federation took a stand long ago that all female teams will be coached by females," Ellis told reporters. Her message to other countries is clear: appoint female coaches and give them real support.

The Southern African regional football organization already requires women on coaching teams, even before FIFA made it a global rule this March. That regulation now requires all women's teams to have at least one female coach on the bench.

Kenya's U-20 coach Jackline Juma sees the challenge clearly. "They still don't trust women, don't give them chances, the support is not as much as for male coaches," she said. She's calling for licensing rules that prioritize female coaches for women's teams.

The Ripple Effect

The impact goes beyond just numbers. Female coaches who reach the top inspire the next generation. Organizations like the Female Coaching Network report that while only 20% of women's national teams worldwide have female coaches, those teams account for 90% of major championship wins.

Vicky Huyton, who founded the network in 2014, hears from passionate coaches across Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria who want clear pathways to advancement. "People think that women don't want to coach," she said. "It isn't true."

Ellis sees real reasons for optimism. Morocco's Lamia Boumehdi just won CAF Coach of the Year. Carol Kanyemba took Zambia to back-to-back U17 World Cups. Mildred Cheche and Adelaide Koudougnon are building strong youth programs in Kenya and Ivory Coast.

The progress isn't unique to Africa. At the 2025 Women's Euros, only seven of 16 teams had female coaches. Even England's top women's league has more men than women on the sidelines.

What matters now is momentum, and African football has it.