Following FIFA’s approval of a new rule requiring all women’s teams to have either a female head coach or assistant coach, Zambia’s Florence Mwila says it’s a good move.
Mwila, a former Copper Queens assistant coach at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, believes female coaches have grown in the game and are ready to lead.
“I think it’s a very good move because, looking at how the female coaches have now grown in the game, the experience that we have gained as female coaches, having worked side by side with the male coaches, I think we are able to stand, obviously getting advice from our male counterparts,” Mwila told BolaNews in an exclusive interview.
The FIFA Council approved regulations mandating female representation in team leadership across all its women’s competitions. This applies to all youth and senior tournaments, national team competitions, and club competitions.
‘Zambia Has Done Well to Promote Female Coaches’ — Mwila
Mwila said it is important for female coaches to be given leading roles, as they also serve as role models to many players who aspire to become coaches.
“Giving female coaches the leading role is also very important because now I think the world has seen that females are ready to lead female teams. For example, I think in Zambia we have done very well, as currently all our female teams are led by female coaches, which is something that we can say we are doing very well in Zambia. And so far, of the three teams, the under-20 team has an all-female technical bench. There’s no male on that technical bench,” Mwila said.
FIFA said the initiative is part of its broader strategy to ensure that the rapid growth of the women’s game is matched by increased representation of women in technical and leadership roles.
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