How trailblazing African footballers are changing the game in Sydney’s West

Rita Oppongboateng never had the chance to play football with other women until she took part in a tournament in Western Sydney.

She used to train boys in her home country but finally got to play with other women at the African Cup NSW.

The tournament, held in Blacktown, saw teams representing their countries of origin play off over nine weeks for the title.

The grand final, played at the home of A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday, saw Ghana win against South Sudan 6-5 in the men’s competition.

For the first time in the tournament’s history — a women’s grand final was also held, with Democratic Republic of Congo meeting Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe beat Congo 3-2 in the women’s Challenge Cup game.