São Tomé and Príncipe women's national football team

The São Tomé and Príncipe women's national football team represents São Tomé and Príncipe in international women's football. It is governed by the São Toméan Football Federation. It has played in six FIFA recognised matches and has never been internationally ranked by FIFA. The country also has a national under-19 team.

São Tomé and Príncipe

Association	São Toméan Football Federation
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	UNIFFAC (Central Africa)
FIFA code	STP
FIFA ranking
Current	NR (13 December 2024)[1]
First international
São Tomé and Príncipe 0–2 Gabon  (São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe; 9 August 2002)
Biggest defeat
São Tomé and Príncipe 0–6 Gabon  (Libreville, Gabon; 23 August 2002)  São Tomé and Príncipe 0–6 Togo  (São Tomé and Príncipe, 26 February 2006)

History

In 1985, almost no country in the world had a women's national football team,^[2] including São Tomé and Príncipe who did not play their first FIFA recognised fixture until 2002 when they participated in qualifications for the 2003 Women's World Cup.^[3][4] In the team's history, they have only played in six FIFA recognised matches. On 10 August 2002 in São Tome, São Tomé and Príncipe lost to Gabon 0–2 after being down 0–1 at the half.^[3][4] On 24 August 2002 in Libreville, São Tomé and Príncipe lost to Gabon 0–6 after being down 0–3 at the half.^[3][4] They finished last in the first group round, scoring 0 total goals and having 8 scored against them in two games.^[4] On 19 February 2006 in São Tomé and Príncipe, São Tomé and Príncipe lost 0–3 to Togo.^[3] On 26 February 2006 in Togo, São Tomé and Príncipe lost 0–6 to Togo.^[3] In 2010, the country did not have a team competing in the African Women's Championships during the preliminary rounds^[5] or at the 2011 All Africa Games.^[6] In June 2012, the team was not ranked in the world by FIFA.^[7] The team has never been ranked by FIFA.^[8]

In October 2021, São Tomé and Príncipe participated in the first round of 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualification, which acted also as the first round of Africa's 2023 Women's World Cup qualifiers, but withdrew after losing the first leg to Togo 0–5, leading to the cancellation of the second and the team's elimination.^[9]

Under-20

In 2002, São Tomé and Príncipe women's national under-19 football team participated in the African Women U-19 Championship, the first edition of the competition to be held. In the first round, they lost to Mali women's national under-19 football team twice with scores of 0–6 and 1–4.^[10][11] The age grouping for the youth national cup was subsequently changed from under-19 to under-20.^[12] São Tomé and Príncipe women's national under-20 football team was supposed to play against Central African Republic women's national under-20 football team in the African Women U-20 World Cup 2010 Qualifying in 2010 but São Tomé and Príncipe withdrew and Central African Republic got a walkover in their scheduled matches against the country.^[13]

Background and development

The island country gained independence in 1975, the same year the national football association was created. The association gained FIFA recognition in 1986.^[14][15] Female players register with the national association starting at the age of 16. In 2009, there were only four women's only teams in the country, which formed a national competition.^[16]

Early development of the women's game at the time began when colonial powers brought football to the continent was limited as colonial powers in the region tended to take make concepts of patriarchy and women's participation in sport with them to local cultures that had similar concepts already embedded in them.^[17] The lack of later development of the national team on a wider international level symptomatic of all African teams is a result of several factors, including limited access to education, poverty amongst women in the wider society, and fundamental inequality present in the society that occasionally allows for female specific human rights abuses.^[18] When quality female football players are developed, they tend to leave for greater opportunities abroad.^[19] Continent wide, funding is also an issue, with most development money coming from FIFA, not the national football association.^[19] Future success for women's football in Africa is dependent on improved facilities and access by women to these facilities. Attempting to commercialise the game and make it commercially viable is not the solution, as demonstrated by the current existence of many youth and women's football camps held throughout the continent.^[17]

Results and fixtures

Main article: São Tomé and Príncipe women's national football team results

See also: 2022 in association football, 2022 in sports, and FIFA International Match Calendar

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Legend

  Win   Draw   Lose   Void or Postponed   Fixture

2023

Nigeria  v  São Tomé and Príncipe

September 2023 (2023-09) 2024 AFWCON qualification First round 1st leg

Nigeria

Cancelled

São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe  v  Nigeria

September 2023 (2023-09) 2024 AFWCON qualification First round 2nd leg

São Tomé and Príncipe

Cancelled

Nigeria

Coaching staff

Current coaching staff

As of September 2022

Position	Name	Ref.
Head coach	Marcelina da Costa

Manager history

• Lígia Santos (2022– )

Players

Current squad

• The following players were named on 10 October 2021 for the 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualification tournament. ^[20]

• Caps and goals accurate up to and including 30 October 2021.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Club
	1GK	Euridice Bandeira
	1GK	Rosa Gomes
	2DF	Nielette Nazaré
	2DF	Jucelina Gonçalves
	2DF	Adgelsa de Sousa
	2DF	Maurícia Gomes
	2DF	Rita Managem
	2DF	Elcy Vicente Fernandes
	2DF	Inácia Santo
	3MF	Stela Rocha
	3MF	Vânia Duarte
	3MF	Reginalda da Veiga
	3MF	Geraldina Geraldina
	4FW	Wilma Guimarães
	4FW	Seliny Bragança
	4FW	Jecimila Ramos
	4FW	Mila Sacramento Simáo
	4FW	Mileyde Bonfim Gomes

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up to a São Tomé and Príncipe squad in the past 12 months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up

–

Competitive record

FIFA Women's World Cup

FIFA Women's World Cup record
Year	Round	GP	W	D*	L	GS	GA	GD
2003	Did not qualify
2007
2011 to 2019	Did not enter
2023	Did not qualify
2027	To be determined
Total	0/4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D*	L	GS	GA	GD
1996	Did not qualify
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024	Did not enter
Total	0/8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Africa Women Cup of Nations

Africa Women Cup of Nations
Year	Round	GP	W	D*	L	GS	GA	GD
2002	Did not qualify
2004	Did not enter
2006	Did not qualify
2008 to 2018	Did not enter
2020	Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
2022	Did not qualify
2024	W/D
Total	0/3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

African Games record

African Games Finals
Year	Round	GP	W	D	L	GS	GA
2003	-	0	0	0	0	0	0
2007	-	0	0	0	0	0	0
2011	-	0	0	0	0	0	0
2015	-	0	0	0	0	0	0
2019	-	0	0	0	0	0	0
2023	-	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	4/4	0	0	0	0	0	0

UNIFFAC Women's Cup

UNIFFAC Women's Cup
Year	Result	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	GF	GA	GD
2020	DID NOT ENTER
Total	1/1	4	0	3	1	4	5	−1

References

• Sports portal
• Association football portal

1. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
2. Chrös McDougall (1 January 2012). Soccer. ABDO. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-61783-146-1. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
3. "Sao Tome e Principe: Fixtures and Results". FIFA. Archived from the original on 21 June 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
4. "Previous Tournaments". FIFA. Archived from the original on 27 December 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
5. "Fixtures – African Women Championship 2010 – CAF". Cafonline.com. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
6. "Groups & standings – All Africa Games women 2011 – CAF". Cafonline.com. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
7. "The FIFA Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 25 September 2009. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
8. "Sao Tome e Principe: FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. Archived from the original on 23 September 2007. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
9. "Withdrawal of Sao Tome from the qualifiers of the TotalEnergies Women's AFCON 2022". CAF. 24 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
10. "African Women U-19 Championship 2002". Rsssf.com. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
11. "Regulations – CAN U-20 women 2010 – CAF". Cafonline.com. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
12. "Women U-19/U-20 World Cup". Rsssf.com. 21 January 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
13. "African Women U-20 World Cup 2010 Qualifying". Rsssf.com. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
14. "Goal! Football: São Tomé and Príncipe" (PDF). FIFA. 21 April 2009. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
15. FIFA (2006). "Women's Football Today" (PDF): 166. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 August 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2012. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
16. "Goal! Football: São Tomé and Príncipe" (PDF). FIFA. 21 April 2009. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
17. Peter Alegi (2 March 2010). African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game. Ohio University Press. ISBN 978-0-89680-278-0. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
18. Jean Williams (15 December 2007). A Beautiful Game: International Perspectives on Women's Football. Berg. p. 186. ISBN 978-1-84520-674-1. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
19. Gabriel Kuhn (24 February 2011). Soccer Vs. the State: Tackling Football and Radical Politics. PM Press. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-60486-053-5. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
20. squad for qualification

External links