It's been a while...

I know it has been forever and four years since I have posted on here, but I started at Rhodes University  here in South Africa in January and haven't really had spare time to spend on my beloved blog. So, I apologise to all of my fourteen followers and fans (if I have any, I doubt it, I just wanted to say 'fans') for being so lame, but I am alive and will tend to my blog properly again soon.

Note: not ALL female soccer fans look like this; we come in all shapes and
sizes but share the same passion regardless. (Photo: sourced)

In the meantime, here is an awesome article written about female soccer fans appropriately during the World Cup (DOES IT EXCITE EVERYONE ELSE AS MUCH AS IT EXCITES ME?!) by the Mail & Guardian: a South African news organisation. My Journalism and Media Studies lecturer sent it to me after a lengthy discussion about the problems of discrimination our university soccer team has been/is facing thus far. I wrote a feature article about it, so me thinks I will post that too...

READ:

Alert: Today's female Fifa World Cup soccer fan 

First Women's Soccer League in Brazil: maybe the rest of the world will catch on?

My supervisor at work suggested I work on my blog today, and one of the most pleasing things I see shared on Google+ is an article about the introduction of Brazil's first official women's domestic soccer league. This is quite a large step forward for women's football, not just in Brazil, but around the world, especially since Brazil has given birth to some of the best players in the world. (Ronaldinho, Neymar Jr. etc...) I have decided to be hopeful that this news will spread to other countries in the world, including to South Africa, and will inspire them to pay more attention to, and potentially invest in, female soccer.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced the news this week that Brazil's first domestic women's soccer league 'Campeonato Brasileiro' has been introduced, with government-owned bank Caixa Econômica Federal  as its main sponsor.What made me the happiest is this: "The state-owned bank has signed a deal with the CBF worth reportedly R$10 million (US$4.4 million) to fund the new women's league." 

FUNDING, FINALLY.

In one of my previous posts I mentioned that funding was one of two most crucial elements in the growth of women's football, and I am so extremely excited for Brazil and the future of their female teams. With this funding, the league will gain more exposure and hopefully lead to expanding within the league, as well as spreading their influence in other corners of the world. I strongly believe that, coming from a country with one of the leading football cultures in the world, more heads will be turned to women's football. 

The only thing I am slightly worried about is if the league fails to prove its worth after so much money has been invested into it. Obviously, it won't kick off immediately in terms of popularity, packed stadiums and merchandise to raise money but, with women's football running parallel to men's, it is possible that football fans will be too slow to commit and support the new league. If this were to happen, I fear that women's football in Brazil will go in reverse. 

I can and will only be optimistic and supportive of Brazil's decision to invest in this new league, and I wish all the best to the 20 female teams participating. Every other country in the world (SOUTH AFRICA!), can you please pay attention to this?! 

All for now,
Gabi 

Link to the Brazilian Football Confederation website: Brazilian Football Confederation
Information about Campeonato Brasileiro: Campeonato Brasileiro