African nations have their work cut out, but supporters are full of optimism

NOTSince 1999, an African team has gone as far as the last eight of the Women's World Cup. While Cameroon enlightened the last edition by crossing the group stage, there is a real feeling of underperformance of the work done by the continent in this tournament.

For nearly three decades, Nigeria's Super Falcons have ruled as undisputed African queens – winning all African Nations Cup tournaments, with the exception of two, qualifying for eight World Cups and qualifying for the quarter-finals in 1999. Super Falcons legend Mercy Akide – Udoh, a member of this party, believes that the lack of adequate preparation has prevented Nigeria and other African parties from progressing since.

"We can not have a team that wants to compete in the competition just weeks before the start of the World Cup. That's how it works, "insists the women's footballer of the year in Africa 2001 before Nigeria's opening match against Norway tomorrow.

But this is a reality that most teams on the continent are forced to face. Training camps are underfunded, brief, or nonexistent and are quickly treated by football badociations. The Super Falcons are perhaps the largest international team in Africa, but they are not strangers to this phenomenon.