Time to clip the wings of the Super Falcons' coach

The women's world cup has sprang a number of surprises expected from tournament football.

Japan's rise to the final, England actually playing for penalties (only to, unsurprisingly lose), Germany failing in the first round of a knockout - all unexpected delights from tournament football.

But one unnecessary and despicable action has been the behaviour of Nigerian women's football manager Eucharia Uche.

Allegations of a "witch-hunt" of lesbian players in the country, who proudly play under the banner of the Super Falcons, have been ongoing for a number of months.

It is claimed Uche uses homophobic coaching measures, even describing homosexuality as “very dirty” and “spiritually, morally very wrong”.

Yet still Fifa sits on its hands.

This is why it was positive to see a demonstration against the actions taking place in Frankfurt this week.

Leading the protest was the international gay rights pressure group www.allout.org, who are demanding an investigation into the allegations.

More than 100 activists dressed as referees in front of SV Frankfurt's Commerzbank Arena and holding up red cards reading "Homophobia No."

It was a simple action against an issue which has been overlooked for far too long.

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell perhaps summed up the situation best.

He said: "The reported purge last year of lesbian players from the Nigerian women's football team by Nigerian soccer federation official James Peters is outrageous discrimination.

"The team's current coach has also boasted that she is attempting to remove lesbian influences from the team. These actions go against the spirit that sport should be open to everyone and that players should be judged solely on their football abilities."

He added: "Fifa's silence and inaction is collusion with homophobic prejudice and discrimination. It has failed to act against the anti-lesbian policies of the Nigerian football authorities.

"Sepp Blatter and Fifa must insist that Nigerian football officials halt their witch-hunt of lesbian players. Allowing this discrimination is unacceptable. The beautiful game is not beautiful when it tolerates prejudice."

It may be that Fifa has its eye on other matters at the minute - most notably the allegations of in-house corruption.

But, homophobia in African football is not a new thing - the rape and killing of Eudy Simelane is just one incident of many.

But how long will it be before those with the power actually use the power.

We are beyond the stage where inactivity is an option.

This is a message to all the footballing authorities - this is an issue and you should tackle it.

For more on this issue:
http://nigerianfutbol.blogspot.com/2011/07/eucharia-uche-disgrace-to-nigerian.htmlhttp://www.teamkickoffnigeria.com/forum/topics/eucharia-uche-a-disgrace-tohttp://www.womenssoccerunited.com/group/womensworldcupgermany2011/forum/topics/fifa-has-taken-tentative?xg_source=activity

Don't forget Women's World Cup

The following is a blogpost from Lindsay Eanet, a Justin Campaign officer based in Liverpool and massive fan of both men's and women's football.

Hey you! Yes, you! Did you know there’s a whole other World Cup that starts a week from Sunday?

Yes, the FIFA Women’s World Cup starts on June 26!

It’s a thing that is happening, and you should watch it because, like its male counterpart, it will be full of highly skilled, impassioned play that reminds you all about what ‘The Beautiful Game’ should be about.

Maybe it’s just in the US and the UK, but the lack of international media and fan attention that seems to be surrounding the Women’s World Cup (minus the Playboy spread in which members of the German national team participated) is disappointing, although thoroughly unsurprising.

Maybe it’s just bad timing, with men’s league play just ending, Euro qualifiers on the horizon and Olympic hype overwhelming all sports coverage whether we like it or not.

Or maybe it’s the systemic inequity of women’s sports, the fact that fewer resources and advertising revenue will inevitably go to the competition than the male counterpart.

Usually, when women’s football makes the headlines at all, the focus, sadly, is more on scandal and salaciousness than success and statistics.

My fellow American football fans probably remember Brandi Chastain triumphantly ripping her shirt off after her winning goal in the 1999 Women’s World Cup more than the goal or the victory themselves.

As women’s football came to the forefront during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, all eyes were on German stars Inka Grings and Linda Bresonik for their love triangle with male coach Holger Fachs as opposed to their skills on the field.

But three years have passed and progress, although small, has been made —
on the FIFA Women’s World Cup official website, Grings is being touted as one of the stars of this year’s competition and the driving force behind the home country’s squad.

And she has the stats to back it up: Grings has won the Golden Boot in the Bundesliga six times and has been named German Female Footballer of the Year three times.

Much like Mia Hamm, Sissi and Hanna Ljungberg did briefly in the years following the tournament’s inception, hopefully Grings and her contemporaries, like Brazil’s Marta and England’s Kelly Smith, can turn the focus away from the ugliness of scandal and hypersexualization and towards the beauty and magic of the game we know and love itself.

England’s first match takes place on June 27 against Mexico at 6pm CET in Wolfsburg.

For those of us who lack the luxury of digital cable, BBC Sport Online will be streaming the matches. Or, host a watch party!

Watch parties are fun, and so is supporting England’s awesome female athletes.