Bros, wetin dey happen for Women’s FA Cup na serious matter o! The Football Association (FA) don come out with serious plans wey fit change the whole game. Dem talk say dem wan seed four teams for the Cup and remove lower-tier clubs join that gist.
According to beta sources wey no wan show face, di top four teams for Women’s Super League (WSL) go get special treatment. Instead of the usual draw wey dey happen, dem go use World Cup-style bracket from di last 32 round. Na dis level them WSL big teams go enter di competition. E no too sweet for di lower-tier clubs wey dey hustle hard to make am for di big stage.
This new proposal dey come as FA dey review di tournament under their 2024-28 strategy to push di women game forward. But my people, no be only good news dem dey bring o! Clubs wey dey lower division don dey complain say dem no really involve dem for di consultation process. E be like say na dem big teams dem wan shine while the smaller teams go dey suffer dey look.
Fa, clubs wey dey lower-tier, especially di ones wey dey tier seven, dey vex well well. Dem fit no see di opportunity to compete again as di FA don proposal say dem go exclude dem. No be say dem dey joke o, dem dey complain say dis one go affect their growth and visibility.
In January, di FA gatter tier five, six, and seven clubs to talk about di new plans. But when dem reach, dem no hear anything wey go affect them until dem ask question. No be small wahala. Some clubs dey talk say dem feel like dem wan close di door wey go fit help dem enter di competition.
Di consultation no dey add up, as one chairman from di Greater London Women’s Football League talk say na only one out of 50 clubs for dem tier seven wey dem gree consult. And di FA dey mute on di matter. Na so e be say, some girls dem for tier seven dey hold dem tightly for di competition because e dey give dem opportunity for better future.
As di matter dey hot, di FA don increase di entry fee from £25 to £75 too. This na serious money wey fit make many lower-tier teams dey pricing out. Dis one dey lead to more serious gists among di fans wey dey follow di women football. Dem dey shout say na only di rich fit enter di playing field.
While some dey argue say di proposed seeding na temporary measure, another side dey talk say e go make di situation worst for di lower teams. Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Manchester City na di four seeded teams based on last season’s table. Na dem be di only clubs wey don carry di FA Cup for di past years.
Chai! Di FA dey talk say dem wan use dis new format to spice up di competition, but fans don dey raise eyebrow, saying dat dem dey lose di magic wey make di FA Cup sweet. Dey no wan turn di competition to only ‘super matches’, wey go make di elite teams dey shine and di small ones fade away.
As we dey watch, wetin go happen next season still dey unclear, but one tin wey sure be say di wahala no go end here!
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