Júlia Fumo: Figure of the Year 2024

“When we like to do something, we have to go after it” Considers Fumo Former football player, he started playing when he was just 15 years old, he first played for Ferroviário de Maputo, years later he played for Clube de Zixaxa, he also played for Clube Costa do Sol where he ended his career in 2014.

Júlia Paulo Fumo, a native of Ma puto, told our reporter that she had a peaceful childhood, with many challenges because she liked to practice physical activity, in an environment where most people said that football was not for her, at least she should practice physical education, but the renowned coach had such a great passion for football that she persisted until she managed to join one of the clubs. At that time, she lived with her older brother, whom she asked for permission to join, and he accepted and recommended that she should include school as a sine qua non priority. She remembers having fol lowed through on the recommendations until she graduated and now, in addition to being a coach, she has been a physical education teacher since 2005

During the period in which she played football, she faced several challenges, considering that women’s football was once a bit strange to others, because some people supported it and others didn’t. At the time when she played, few people were interested, football was considered a sport for men, but she faced everything for the “love” of it, and persisted, reaching certain levels. She is now part of the technical team of the women’s national team. She joined the Mozambican Football Federation in 2018, after attending a training course to become a physical trainer. They noticed that she had some potential, so they asked her to be assistant coach. Since then, she has worked as assistant coach and national coach of the under-17 wom en’s team.

She has not been a victim of social exclusion, society has been very supportive, note that when she embraced many people said that a woman was not capable, but at this time many people appear to support her and in a certain way they value her, at a time when she is assistant to the senior team, under-20 and national coach of the under-17 team, she feels calm, there has been no gender stereo type that it is male or female, we have done collective work, a true technical team in harmony that makes me comfortable.

“I must consider that it has been very easy for me because I know women’s football very well, after all I was a player before, there are several challenges that I have faced and I believe that girls continue to face, but in a different way because society and parents have support ed me”

For this type of position, she has had to travel several times nation ally and internationally, but she admits that her family’s unconditional support has contributed greatly to her performance. This has been happening since the time she was a football player, studied and now she is a worker and continues to benefit from this family support, which she is grateful for.

ipated in the COSAFA tournament with the under-17 women’s team, having positively evaluated it and noted that this appearance was the first time participating in this type of level, in the first phase he played three games and had three victories, this had never happened be fore, not even with the seniors or even with the under-20s, so it is a promising team and we are count ing on these youngsters. “We had an average of almost 60 to 70% girls aged 13, 14 to 15 and perhaps 25% with girls aged 16, so this means that in the next edition we will still be counting on these girls who have gained some experience (…) with seniors and under-20s we haven’t managed to get there but we are already seeing remarkable work which means that there is a certain evolution here in what women’s football is all about. We just have to keep working and we are counting on the same girls, in addition to participating in the next edition some will feed the under-20 team in the same way that the under-20 team will feed the under-17 team”.

She also considered that the biggest challenge she has faced, especially in this under-17 category, is the formation of the team itself, since here in Mozambique we do not have a championship at this level, there is only one level, which is senior, so some girls are forced to play in the senior team, some without the opportunity, in a way, to form in the team, this has been a challenge.

He also admitted that to attract girls to play football this is already happening with the visibility of the vast activities in the social media which in a certain way triggers the awareness of many, it also makes those in charge happy that in a certain way they can see that after all this matter is serious, thanks to the social media which in a certain way has spread our achievements.

Finally, I would like to tell all women to never give up on their dreams. Nothing will fall from the sky, we have to go after it. Everything is possible when we like it. When we like doing something, we have to go after it. That is where we will learn the most. Yes, we will fall, but we will get up and always with our heads held high. At some point, we will see that it is possible after all and we hope that one day we will achieve our dreams and never give up.