FOR years, South Africa’s footballing pedigree and professional league made it the undisputed heavyweight of Southern African football.
Then, the world’s most popular game, FIFA even had Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates on its yearly releases, giving gamers an opportunity to test them versus the best across the globe.
However Electronic Arts (EA) ratings suggest that the region’s football hierarchy has changed. There is no South Africa at the top, no Angola, no DRC either.
From being led by the likes of Benni McCarthy who won the UEFA Champions League with FC Porto in 2004, the top has now been taken over by female superstars in whose shadow none of the region’s male players can stand.
At the summit of Southern African football stands a Malawian woman, Kansas City Current (KC Current) forward Temwa Chawinga with an overall rating of 86.
Her sister Tabitha Chawinga, who is also a professional footballer at French giant Lyon where she plays as a forward, follows closely behind on 85.
Barbra Banda, the Copper Queens of Zambia captain and one of the most feared forwards in world football, is the next highest-rated player on the list followed by teammate Racheal Kundananji enters the picture. Rated 82, Kundananji gives Zambia the only two players from the region to break the 80-point barrier.
Only three male players are rated in the 80s, Yoane Wissa of DRC, who plays for Newcastle united in the English Premier League (EPL) and his two countrymen Simon Banza (81) of SC Braga and Westham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka (80).
What makes the EA ratings particularly fascinating is that they offer a snapshot of football’s changing realities.
Not long ago, discussions about Southern African football revolved almost exclusively around men’s football. Today, the region’s highest-rated players are women.
EA ratings are often debated by fans because they serve as a form of global recognition. They are a reflection of reputation, performance and standing within the sport.
Zimbabwe’s football story is reflected in the profile of its highest-rated player.
Wolves midfielder Marshall Munetsi (76) has become one of the Warriors’ most influential figures. His rise mirrors the journey of many Zimbabwean footballers who have sought opportunities abroad and established themselves in some of Europe’s toughest competitions.
Despite struggling to keep a spot at Wolves, Munetsi’s exploits in France, where he was much recently playing for Paris FC, cannot be ignored.
Behind him on the list are Marvelous Nakamba (72) and Udinese’s Jordan Zemura (70), players who have also built careers in Europe.
The ratings suggest Zimbabwe remains one of the region’s most reliable exporters of talent, even though it lacks the depth enjoyed by some of its neighbours or a league that can be compared to its counterpart down south.
Perhaps the biggest surprise, however, is South Africa.
Traditionally regarded as the region’s football powerhouse due to the strength of the BetWay premiership and professional structures, South Africa does not place a player among the region’s elite-rated stars.
Siyabonga Ngezana tops the South African list with a rating of 73 while Gift Links and Lyle Foster sit just behind him on 72.
Maybe it is time CAF developed its own game to cater for local talent and local clubs, rate African stars and bring it closer to the gaming world which has, over the past three decades, evolved into a multi-million dollar industry.
