More African Girls on Their Way to the Dana Cup

In 2023 seven teams from Africa participated in the Dana Cup. By 2024 that number had grown to 20 after a targeted effort. This year, there are 50 teams registered for the tournament. The man behind this impressive growth is Frank Petersen, a Dana Cup employee with a special focus on Africa.

‘The processing of visa applications can be extremely long, and when we first started in earnest in February 2024, we “only” managed to increase the number of teams from seven to 20. Of the 50 teams this year, there are 3-4 girls' teams, but it's my dream to create a gender balance, preferably next year,’ smiles Frank Petersen, who has long-standing relationships in Africa. Among other things, he runs a goalkeeper academy in Uganda.

‘There is huge potential for African girls at the Dana Cup. Many clubs have both boys' and girls' teams, but the problem is that clubs hope to sell a good boys' player if they participate in the Dana Cup. There is less sales potential for girls, and therefore it can be more challenging to get girls' teams to the Dana Cup when the cost of the trip is the same,’ Frank Petersen points out.

All teams from Africa must be approved by the respective local football associations. They must then go through a lengthy approval process with the Danish authorities before they can get a visa to Denmark. ‘But we have excellent cooperation with both embassies and the Danish Immigration Service,’ he emphasizes.

Dana Cup Hjørring 2025
Foto: Hans Ravn