Last week, the world witnessed a powerful celebration of strength, resilience, and triumph when the Super Falcons of Nigeria were crowned champions of the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). With $1 million awarded to the victorious team and total prize pool of $3.475 million distributed among top winners, the tournament was a visible marker of progress in women’s sports on the African continent. Yet, in that moment of joy and jubilation, a deeper question stirred: How do we shift from occasional success stories to sustained systems that empower African athletes — particularly women?
At the African Sports Investment Conference (AFSIC), my friend and colleague Mandla Nthlanganiso made a poignant remark: “African sports has stories, not systems.” That statement pierced through the applause, reminding us that while moments like WAFCON are worth celebrating, they are also reflective of the systemic gaps that continue to hinder the full flourishing of African sports professionals.
The global sports economy: A mirror of priorities
To understand the magnitude of this challenge, one need only examine the global sports economy. While WAFCON’s $3.475 million prize pool was a significant step forward, it stands in stark contrast to other global events:
- UEFA Women’s EURO 2025: $44.5 million prize pool
- Wimbledon 2025: $72.7 million, with equal pay for men and women
- WTA 1000 Tournaments (tennis): $65 million across elite global events
- Women’s Chess World Cup: $691,250.
These figures illuminate a striking disparity — not only in terms of funding but in how different regions of the world value women’s participation in sport. Prize money is not just compensation; it is a signal of recognition, respect, and belief in the potential of human capital.
Behavioural science teaches us that people respond to the incentives and environments around them. When African women athletes see their global counterparts being celebrated and richly rewarded, while they must battle for visibility, support, and adequate pay, it sends a powerful message — one that can shape aspirations, identity, and participation.
Human capital: Currency of flourishing societies
If we want African sports to thrive — not just survive — we must reframe our understanding of human capital. Human flourishing is not merely about physical performance or medal counts. It’s about cultivating environments where individuals can pursue purpose, express their talents, experience belonging, and make meaningful contributions to society.
The absence of consistent systems — be it in funding, infrastructure, coaching, mental health support, or grassroots development — limits the potential of African athletes, especially women. It becomes a self-fulfilling cycle: lack of systems leads to underperformance, which then justifies continued underinvestment.
To break this cycle, we must treat athletes as whole humans, not just performers. This means investing in:
- Mental fitness programmes that recognize the psychological toll of competition and cultural expectations
- Career transition frameworks that support athletes post-retirement
- Leadership pipelines to ensure women have pathways into coaching, governance, and administration
- Research and data systems to track, understand, and amplify the African sports economy
As Sgwili Gumede aptly put it: “The future of sport is African.” But that future will not arrive by accident. It must be built, intentionally and collaboratively, with systems that reflect the dignity and value of every participant.
Narratives are not enough — We need architecture
Africa’s greatest resource is not gold, oil, or land — it’s its people. The stories we tell are powerful, but they are not sufficient. We must move from narrative to architecture, from isolated success to institutionalized excellence.
This means creating:
- Pan-African sports funding instruments that channel investment toward high-impact events
- Continental ranking systems and performance data dashboards to track progress
- Unified federations and policies that promote equity, especially for women and marginalised athletes
Public-private partnerships that bring together government, academia, business, and civil society in service of a shared sporting vision.
Behavioural science affirms that environments shape behaviour. If we want more African boys and girls to believe that a career in sports is viable and valuable, we must create ecosystems that support their dreams from schoolyard to stadium.
Reimagining African sports through flourishing lenses
At its heart, human flourishing is about enabling people to live lives of purpose, resilience, connection, and joy. Sport — when done right — offers all these elements. It teaches discipline, builds community, fosters peace, and creates global citizens.
But flourishing requires more than moments; it needs momentum. African sports must become more than the sum of its anecdotes. We must institutionalize greatness. Every WAFCON, every Sheroes Cup, every futsal or rugby tournament must be seen as not just entertainment — but a contribution to nation-building and identity formation.
This is not about mimicry of Western systems. It is about creating Afrocentric frameworks that reflect our values, culture, and vision — where women are not an afterthought but are centered as leaders, competitors, and changemakers.
Conclusion: Let’s build what we want to celebrate
As the confetti settles and the drums quiet after WAFCON’s triumphant finale, let us ask: What kind of sporting world do we want for the next generation of African girls?
Let us be bold in acknowledging the gaps — not to criticize, but to catalyze. Let us turn celebration into collaboration, and stories into systems.
Dr. Joshua Awesome is a Coaching Psychologist/Executive and Business Performance Coach who has supported over 100,000 professionals across Africa and the globe. He can be reached via: joshua@africainmind.org
Problem with Nigeria Revision of first-hand account of the AGSMEIS programme (2)