Women Fighters Football Club is made up predominantly of Muslim women. The team was formed in 1988 soon after a Swedish women’s team, Tyresö FC, visited Zanzibar as part of their African tour, promoting women’s football in Africa. Before the arrival of Tyresö FC, the young women who loved football and wanted to play played in the streets, most often with boys. The brief visit of the Swedish women’s team was to leave a lasting impression on the Zanzibari women they played against.

When Tyresö FC arrived Zanzibar in March 1988, many different sportswomen (Badminton, Netball and athletes) were asked to form a team to play against the visitors. This occasion marked the beginning of women’s football in Zanzibar. As NASSRA puts it, “…Tyresö FC opened the door for women’s football…playing at AMAAN was like a miracle. It was a historic event for many of us who played football in the streets. We had never seen a women’s football team, let alone play against one. We played at AMAAN, the biggest stadium reserved for international sporting events and other important sports activities organized by the government.”

Inspired by the Swedish women's team, NASSRA JUMA MOHAMMED rallied her football friends and they started training at the Mao Tse-tung Stadium, where most men's football teams did their training. The women sometimes arrived early in order to secure a pitch to train. This caused a lot of resistance, aggression and name calling from the men. They were called 'hooligans' and 'unfit to be wives' because it was unusual to see women playing football.

NASSRA and her friends didn’t give up because of their love for the football “…we just wanted to play and enjoy football but people looked at us as menace to society. Some said we had no direction in life.” Their determination and desire to play football gave them the courage to resist the negative attitudes and insults thrown at them. NASSRA decided to give the team a name because “…a name gives us an identity and a sign to people that we exist.” She called the team Women Fighters, a name that reflected the difficulties they experienced, and their struggle to establish themselves.

“We used to practice without a match to look forward to, we played with no plans. We almost lost hope” recalls NASSRA. “…I met with the Zanzibar Football Association (ZFA) leaders on several occasions campaigning for a women’s league. Finally in 2004, the ZFA formed the Women’s League. That was the happiest day for me.”

The existence of Women Fighters encouraged the formation of other women’s teams. Today there are 5 women’s teams that make up the Women’s League: Nyuki FC, Koani Sisters, Bungi Sisters, Policewomen FC and Women Fighters FC. The Zanzibar National Women’s team is made up of a selection of players from these 5 teams. This National team will take part in the first ever East and Central African Challenge Cup for Women to take place in Zanzibar in October 2007.

Because they are currently only 5 women’s teams, Women Fighters regularly play friendly matches against men’s teams, and also during special occasions such as International Women’s Day and the Zanzibar Revolution Day. Women Fighters recently played a friendly match with Japanese workers [men’s team] based in Dar es Salaam in September 2006.

Since the formation of the Women’s League in 2004, Women Fighters have won the Championship title 2 years in a row. The team currently has over 30 registered members and about 22 who train regularly. Almost all the players are school leavers with no formal qualifications.

For most of the women, playing football gives them new experiences and opportunities to travel, party on the beach, play football with men, gain employment and establish lasting friendships with other women. Because of their physical fitness and athletic bodies, the Army has, in the past, employed players from Women Fighters FC who now play for the Army Netball team, one of the strongest Netball teams in East Africa.

Attitudes are changing slowly and today in Zanzibar many people are accepting the reality of women playing football, with conventional football outfits. The players of Women Fighters like other women footballers in Zanzibar are crossing gender boundaries and the traditional expectations of the [Muslim] woman’s image. NASSRA laments the fact that “our society still thinks we are not normal women…”

1988 was the dawn of a new era and a turning point for many women football lovers in Zanzibar who are slowly but surely defining new roles and identities for themselves. These women belong to the community of [World] football culture.

The film, Zanzibar Soccer Queens, presents a slice of the women’s reality and a mini portrait of their football lives, experiences, hopes and dreams. Having their [first] names printed on the back of their football jerseys was something special for the players.