Now Staab works as FIFA instructor, moving from country to country in a bid to popularize women football. Currently she is in Rwanda, and she will spend a month assessing the sport and giving technical advice. And her first impressions are very positive. “Rwanda has so far done better than some of the other countries I visited, especially those in the Middle East where they only play a championship. That is not the case here, where you have a League with ten clubs which are very competitive,” Staab says. There is still work to be done, though, especially in attracting more players. So the technician calls on parents to allow their daughters who have talent in football to develop them, which is best done when the girls are still young.
Therefore, she advises to establish more clubs to spot talented girls, and also to organize competitions in schools. Regional tournaments could also help, she says, because they give players experience and exposure.
According to the FIFA instructor, there should be at least 50,000 players in the country to further develop the game. And, of course, that will require more experienced coaches.
Staab accepts that lack of funds might be an obstacle, yet she is quick to point out that for 2009 FIFA has made available US$ 37,500 (some 20 million francs), which represents 50% of the budget.
A girl by mistake
More technical assistance is on its way. Felicite Rwemarika, the president of the women football federation, says in June there will be a workshop for 30 coaches.
“The Dutch football federation is sending four instructors to conduct the training,” Rwemarika said, adding that they also count playing regular friendly marches with teams from neighboring countries next year.
And with the vision and passion displayed by the players, the future looks bright indeed. Take Yvonne Mukamaliza, midfielder for Musanze football club who has so far scored 8 goals and is also part of the Amavubi senior team; she says she has loved football since she was a child.
“I would always play with the boys when I was still in primary school, and be sure that I used to challenge them. Some boys even told me that I was a girl by mistake, and this really encouraged me to move on,” Mukamuliza recounts.
She adds that she adored watching football matches, and often went to see games in the local league. And now she is there herself, and dreams of becoming an international.
Yet things are not always easy. Francine Nziyonsenga, goalkeeper at APR, is also studying administration and finance at ULK. She admits that it is sometimes complicated to balance studies and football, yet she is confident that she will succeed in both.
“It’s not the first time that there is such pressure on me,” Nziyonsenga shrugs. “In secondary school it was the same, but I managed to get my diploma and at the same time become keeper at APR. It’s a matter of organization; it may not be easy, but I think I will make it because I love both my studies and the game.”