As women’s football continues to grow in popularity and recognition worldwide, more and more talented women are emerging at various levels of the sport. From players to coaches to executives, women are making their mark and breaking down barriers in the traditionally male-dominated world of football.
One of such individuals is Fauzia Najjemba, whose growth reflects a meteoric rise, but it hasn’t come without its own challenges, especially playing for a team in Europe.
Fauzia Najjemba is regarded as one of the most exciting female footballers in the continent. At 20 years old, she currently plays as a forward for Russian Women’s Football Championship club ZFK Dynamo Moscow and the Uganda women’s national team.
In Uganda, she played for Isra Soccer Academy and Kampala Queens before joining Kazakhstan Women Championship outfit BIIK Kazygurt in 2022 where she helped the team win the Kazakhstan Women’s Cup.
Najjemba became the second Ugandan to play for BIIK Kazygurt with Fazila Ikwaput being the first in 2018. While at the club, Ikwaput became the first Ugandan female footballer to feature in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and also scored a goal against Barcelona. Ikwaput however returned to local football and recently had a stint with Kampala Queens up to last weekend when she bid farewell to the club.
Najjemba is the only African player at ZFK Dynamo Moscow. Majority of the players do not speak English and communication is sometimes a challenge but Najjemba has already started to learn the Russian language and can make a few statements and understand what the coaches mean during demonstrations.
A move to a new environment is never easy at the beginning and one will find it hard to acclimatize to the weather especially when it comes to harsh winter conditions like the one in Russia. With a new team, new food, language and culture, one must adapt to the new reality inorder to settle well but most importantly, one must be hard working, creative and focus on what took them there.
Najjemba had a good start to life at ZFK Dynamo Moscow registering two goals and four assists in the first five games. She however sustained an injury that kept her on the sidelines for one month. One of her highlight in her first season at the club was a hat-trick she scored in a cup game last year. Her impressive form has continued and she is an impression to the youngsters back at home and beyond.
Najjemba capped 2023 with a continental nomination: she was nominated for the CAF Young Player of the Year (Women) award in November; it was her second successive nomination. The award that was won by Moroccan defender Nesryne El Chad had Uganda’s Fazila Ikwaput, Tanzania’s Winfreda Gerald and Senegal’s Hapsatou Diallo as other nominees.
Earlier that year, Najjemba was one of Uganda’s key players during the unsuccessful Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) qualifiers and Olympic Qualifiers campaigns.
Najjemba who was named 2021 FUFA female footballer of the year is also one of the most capped female footballers in the country having worn national colors during major events like; COSAFA (2018), COSAFA U-17 (2019), Olympic Qualifiers (2019 & 2023), CECAFA U-17 (2019), CECAFA (2019), U-17 World Cup Qualifiers (2020), U-20 World Cup Qualifiers (2020 & 2022), CECAFA U-20 (2021), AWCON Qualifiers (2021 & 2023), AWCON (2022).
In the recent past, Najjemba has also occasionally worn the armband for the national side whenever skippers Hasifah Nassuna and Ruth Aturo had picked knocks or not selected for action. She has demonstrated her leadership skills in such occasions and could become a permanent Captain in the future.
As young female footballers like Najjemba continue to make their mark in the game, it’s clear that the future of the sport is bright. Whether on the pitch or behind the scenes, women are proving that they have what it takes to succeed at every level.
A quick look at Najjemba
Date of birth : October 7, 2023
Clubs : ISra Soccer Academy, Kampala Queens, BIIK Shymkent & ZFK Dynamo Moscow.
Major national team engagements : Cosafa COSAFA (2018), U-17 (2019), Olympic Qualifiers (2019 & 2023), CECAFA U-17 (2019), CECAFA (2019), U-17 World Cup Qualifiers (2020), U-20 World Cup Qualifiers (2020 & 2022), CECAFA U-20 (2021), AWCON Qualifiers (2021 & 2023), AWCON (2022).
