By Harry Awurumibe
An European women’s football expert, Stigmark Larsson has predicted that the three African representatives in this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup final in France will not reach the final stage of the competition.
The Norway- based women’s football pundit and consultant stated emphatically that the African teams and indeed teams from developing countries are not in contention for the world cup, arguing that the top women’s football playing nations like the United States, Norway, Germany, Japan and France that will play in the final on July 7.
According to Larsson other teams that may go all the way are Netherlands, Canada, Spain and England, adding that Sweden, South Korea and Brazil also have outside chances of making it to the podium in France.
He however argued that he is sure that Cameroon, Nigeria and South Africa, the three representatives of the African continent will end up in the Group Stage or manage to reach the Second Round at the best.
Larsson revealed that he based his prediction on the quality of teams from Africa, pointing out that African teams lack the qualities the European, Asian and North & Central American countries have to compete for the coveted trophy.
Again, he posited that the standard of women’s football leagues in Europe and Americas as well as Asia ranks higher than in Africa at the moment.
” The women’s football leagues in Europe, Asia and the United States, for example, are of higher standard than what obtains in Africa where there is no women’s football leagues in most countries and there is no continental competition for teams in the region”, Larsson concluded.
