Figures Beyond the Pitch — Football Case Study

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Dispatch: a series dedicated to immersive storytelling, where our photographers and writers journey to chosen places, combining evocative imagery with long-form editorials to uncover and share unique football cultures.

The Figures Beyond the Pitch

Words by Fay Harvey
Photographer Matthew David Stith, Jinane Ennasri and Andrea Vílchez

July 18, 2025

RABAT, Morocco — As the group stages of the 2024 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations conclude, one truth is clear: the pitch is rich with history makers, undeniable tenacity, and immense love for football from athletes and supporters alike.

Kicking off the tournament on July 5, Zambian footballer Barbra Banda opened the goal flood gates with a shot directly to the net’s corner before the clock had even struck a minute. Since then, with the help of forward counterpart Racheal Kundananji, the Copper Queens have worked relentlessly to remain undefeated while entering the final stages. Ghislene Chebbak, a top goal scorer of the tournament, has also led the Moroccan Atlas Lionenses to the next chapters —with plenty of cheering and enthusiasm in the sold-out backgrounds. Additionally, Nigeria enters the knockout stages after finishing at the top of their group, and midfielder Rasheedat Ajibade has been an integral force in their campaign as the Super Falcons look to secure their tenth WAFCON title.

Dancers from ICHTAH Studio in Morocco during the 2024 WAFCON Opening Ceremony in rabat. Matthew David Stith / Football Case Study

While the sweat beads off foreheads of the elite athletes scurrying through the multiple North African stadiums, and managers go back to the drawing board to regroup and plan for success in the upcoming critical rounds, there are several other hands uplifting the tournament behind the scenes and on center stage. This group of creatives sit at the core of the tournament to add to WAFCON’s pivotal, unifying energy through movement, on-ground support and overall passion for women’s football.

Before Zambia and Morocco took to the field in the tournament opener that ended in a 2-2 draw, an opening ceremony ensued featuring a plethora of local talent coupled with a message built upon African pride — both sonically and visually.

On the Rabat pitch at Olympic Stadium, 84 dancers from both international and local backgrounds circled Moroccan singer Jaylann in a performance that honored the Moroccan regions and the encompassing African countries. Blending dance and football traditions — two continental cornerstones — dancers from around the world joined to activate the message of women feeding society with their indispensable power.

Alongside Moroccan-based agency Avant Scéne Agency, Casablanca-based dance studio ICHTAH aimed to create an inclusive and cultural performance through a blend of traditional and international choreography.

“There was a powerful sense of unity and purpose as we came together to bring this vision to life,” said Mourahab Youssef, Moroccan dancer and choreographer, who worked as an assistant on the project. “The energy, commitment and collective passion made it feel like we were creating something bigger than ourselves — a moment of magic that not only celebrated football, but also culture and expression.”

As the Moroccan dance community came together, for what felt like the first true time according to Youseff, ICHTAH’s mantra of Making Morocco Move truly came to life.

While fireworks and smoke machines shot off behind the dancers to create a rhythmic spectacle that prompted “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd, the company’s Co-founder and Project Manager Mouna Benqlilou told me that she felt extremely proud to give female dancers the powerful spotlight they deserve in a place where they may feel underrepresented — and performing for a women’s team made it that much more special.

Seeing dance as a democratic platform to communicate and engage with the country’s people, Mouna said that through this WAFCON performance she gave dancers the opportunity to support themselves, bond with their neighbors and prove Morocco’s modernity and capability alike. “We believe dance can be a push for social development in Morocco and beyond,” she added.

In addition to dance, WAFCON has opened doors for aspiring sports careerists in the same way movement has been a vessel for social mobility.

While filming fan celebrations on my own phone at the Nigeria vs Tunisia match on July 6, I looked over from the joyous stands and saw a girl doing the exact same thing I was. After introducing myself, I learned that she was was volunteering for CAF’s media team.

A current university student, Marrakesh-born Emane Taï told me about her studies in sports management and her goal of pursuing a secondary degree in sports science. But even far before that, without her Moroccan childhood revolving around football paired with a deep love for FC Barcelona, she would’ve never found herself in this space in the first place.

Though sports media is primary, Emane says that what she also loves about football is the ability it has to bring people together. “Football is beautiful. Even if you have issues with someone else or different teams, you forget about everything at the match,” Emane explained.

As I was walking away from our conversation, through the stadium bleachers, an intricate, green agbada cheering adamantly for Nigeria caught my eye.

Emane Taï, CAF Media Voluneteer, hopes to work for the matches at the 2030 World Cup held in
Jinane Ennasri / Football Case Study

Victor Adamola stands amoungst the Nigeria Fans. Andrea Vílchez / Football Case Study

Players from the local club Sporting Casablanca acted as ball girls during Nigeria’s Opening match vs Tunisia,

Andrea Vílchez / Football Case Study

The Nigerian fan, Victor Adamola, was attending the match as both a supporter and video journalist to nurture his media platform dedicated to national football teams for both women and men. Victor explained to me that he originally had plans to go to the Club World Cup in the U.S., but his women’s national team took priority.

Though he likes giving attention to both men and women’s competitions, he has noticed viewership tends to be lower for women in both the digital and physical world. Through in-person support and frequent web posting, including recent content that features WAFCON training sessions and tournament-exclusive media interviews, Victor hopes to flip this narrative, especially for the Nigerian team that he exuded national pride for, from his green accessories to his cheering.

“The Nigerian national team means a lot to us,” Victor said, looking around at his fellow fans. “The team is quite talented and it breaks my heart when people don’t come out to watch them. They deserve all the support.”

While the tiny but mighty crowd of Nigerian fans cheered for the three goals scored against Tunisia, courtesy of Asisat Oshoala, Omorinsola Babajide and Esther Okoronkwo, I explored the Stade Larbi-Zaouli where I ran into a few of the match’s ball girls sitting in the stands. Matching in all blue outfits, the pre-teen girls sat in a line to chat with us, while once in a while breaking into laughter over jokes exchanged in Darija.

Members of the local Moroccan youth football club Sporting Club Casablanca, the girls have been dreaming about their futures while at WAFCON and also happily noticing the high turnout of community members at the Morocco matches. One of the girls in particular, who has also been a ball girl in the UEFA Champions League twice, said her dreams of playing for the Moroccan national team have skyrocketed since the matches began that week.

Through this opportunity to provide physical support on the pitch and see their national team’s athleticism so closely, the girls were reminded of how football can be a way to help them find their identity. Oftentimes, the girls seek community by playing football in the streets with their neighbors, and since WAFCON began, the girls have begun picking up the ball more often, invigorating their neighborhoods and strengthening their connections with one another.

While the pitch remains home to the national teams and the various ball girls, referees and managers, on the perimeter sit the accredited photographers that are responsible for the high-quality, on-time coverage seen all over the internet.

Football Case Study Founder Matthew David Stith was able to speak with a few photographers he met on the ground at the matches thus far and hear about their experience shooting at WAFCON, particularly the female photographers who sit amongst a high population of male creatives at the pitch.

Dua, a sports management university student photographing at WAFCON for the first time, has always had a love for football outside of creatvity. Growing up, Dua’s father shared with her his love for football, inviting her to watch matches with him and kick around the ball. But for Dua, photography has been an outlet to get even deeper with her love for the game.

In an effort to expand on her craft, Dua created the Capture Chronicle Club, a photography club specifically devoted to shooting athletics such as football, track and tennis at her university. The club’s biggest goal is to capture athletes’ raw emotion, love and passion for sport found on the Moroccan pitches and courts.

Since beginning university, she sees football — and the national team in particular — as a door opener for women to play all types of sports. As a horse rider herself, Dua notices the potential that stems from sporting tournaments such as WAFCON and its ability to amplify all that women are capable of In sport.

“Some people think women can’t play football, but the national team is showing it is not just for men, it's for women too,” she said. “If Morocco wins this, everyone will go crazy and us women will be sending a big message.”

Sports Journalist Ibtiassam Touisse, a pitch-side photojournalist, is also making her WAFCON photographer debut this year. As a Moroccan, she says she is feeling a great mix of pride and responsibility. To document her home country in this historic moment, Ibtiassam feels it is her duty to show the world what African women’s football looks like and promote the high level the athletes are at.

As a woman in a male-dominated space, Ibtiassam feels that she is of course breaking stereotypes by using her camera, but also by just standing on the field amongst her male counterparts. This opportunity that WAFCON gives female photographers evokes an emotional connection within Ibtiassam to the national team players who face a similar story of belonging to a field that has historically championed men over women.

When it comes to inspiring the next generation of female creatives, Ibtiassam urges girls in the sports media world to look beyond gender and instead focus on personal passion, dedication and hard work. “Don’t be afraid to step into these spaces,” she said. “Confidence, consistency, and a hunger to learn and grow are key. Women can be the voice, the image, and the impact wherever they choose to be.”

Justina Aniefiok, Nigerian Photojournalist

Ibtiassam Touisse, Moroccan Photojournalist

Khady Sy, Mauritanian Photographer

Weam Mostafa, Morrocan Photographer

Dua, Moroccan Student and Photographer

As found in our conversations with the figures powering WAFCON — choreographers, dancers, photographers, students, journalists, ball girls — there is an everlasting, intrinsic tie between the female athletes on the pitch and the people behind the scenes uplifting them whenever possible. The view of an all-or-nothing energy under bright stadium lights and crowds of thousands in the face of an omnipresent sense of change is actively inspiring the present and next generations of creatives to stay on their paths no matter what.

As WAFCON carries on, the intersectional spirit of progress will too. The Atlas Lionesses, Super Falcons and Copper Queens will enter the brackets against their fellow African countries, while at the base, African creatives and athletes will continue finding personal strength within their collective journeys in the name of honoring their roots, their cultures and the footballing pioneers in front of us today.

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