Former Banyana Banyana captain Portia Modise says the football federations of the four African teams that have qualified for the Fifa Women's World Cup need to invest in the teams before the global showpiece next year in Australia and New Zealand. 

SA, Morocco, Zambia and Nigeria will be representing the continent in the 32-team tournament that will run from July 20-August 20 next year. 

The four teams managed to secure their tickets to the World Cup by reaching the semifinals of the Africa Women's Cup of Nations that's currently under way in Morocco.

As a Fifa ambassador, Modise has been keeping an eye on the development that has been happening in Morocco, following the performances of the teams that have qualified. 

With a year until the World Cup, one of the African nations will be hoping to win the prestigious tournament, which would be a first for the continent.

However, Modise put a damper on expectations. She feels that next year's event should be a learning curve and the FAs of the four African participants should come to the party by funding the teams' preparations. 

“The more we have African teams qualify for the World Cup, the more we learn. It will make us see where we can improve and the performance we need to give in the World Cup,” said Modise, speaking to the media via Zoom. 

“With the four teams that have qualified, it'll be up to the federations how much effort they put in and money for the preparations so the teams can do better and get to the last stages of the World Cup. 

“If we are going to qualify and things are still being done the same way in our countries with women's football, to be honest I don't see us going far in the World Cup,” she said. 

Modise went on to urge federations to invest money in the women's game so that they can keep up with the standards in Europe. 

“I see the standard of the European teams, the leagues that have been created, they play in clubs that have resources,” she said.