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Suluhu: Female footballers ‘struggle’ to find husbands


Tanzania President Samia Suluhu has ruffled some feathers in the sports industry by suggesting that playing football makes women unattractive for marriage.

She made these remarks while hosting the country’s U23 men’s national team which triumphed at the recent Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) Challenge Cup in Ethiopia.

While receiving the trophy at State House in Dar-es-Salaam, Suluhu, who replaced deceased John Magufuli as President in March of 2021, further suggested the ‘institution of marriage will remain a mere dream to female players owing to their flat chests’.

She further stated that although some of the female footballers were married, they lacked appealing physical attributes which makes it almost impossible to find suitors.

“If we line them up here, there are those who are flat-chested, you could think they are not women they are men,” Suluhu stated.

The President appealed to Tanzanian authorities to ensure the future of sportspeople is well secured long after they have hung their boots from the sports arena while noting that most of those that had retired are struggling to make ends meet.

But these comments appear to have rubbed a number of stakeholders the wrong way.

“All I can say is, “I told you so. She’s never been and never will be progressive – and she is a good understudy of Magufuli!” opined one Maria Tsehai on social media.

“What she says is not true!! She has generalized without scientific facts regarding women athletes their flat chest and their not having beauty and regarding their marriage prospects!! She is not only wrong but she lies yet again!” added Harry Mwala.

“I would appreciate if we men would be asked of our female chest size snd appearance and even breast size preference and not generalizing that is shameful to have limes over Papayas! ”. The ukubwa wa matiti is subjective… or is NumeroUno preaching fetish?” remarked Dan Nkurlu

“So if 5,000 women out of a population of 60 million people were to take part in sports professionally (would) that would be a national disaster,” wondered Hau Naho

“This is what the ‘first female president’ has to say about other women who are challenging stereotypes by playing professional soccer!” remarke Maria Tsehai.