Female footballers climbed Kilimanjaro to play the highest match in history

By Oscar Michel, Masters in Journalism, DCU.

For many footballers, the right for equity is an ongoing fight. For this reason, a group of women climbed Mount Kilimanjaro (5729m), the highest mountain of Africa and broke the world record of the highest FIFA regulation football match ever played.

The full 90-minute game was played the 24th of July by footballers representing 20 different nationalities. Lori Lindsey, retired US international, Rachel Unitt, former English midfielder, Petra Landers, ex-Germany international and Monica Gonzalez, Mexico captain disputed this unusual game.

“I’m fortunate enough to have had pioneers who came before me, but it’s our responsibility to continue to make strides forward for the generations to come” said Lori Lindsey to CNN Sport.

Dawn Scott managed one of the teams, she is an Olympic Gold medal winner with the US team. She has been credited to be the US team’s “secret to everything”.

Officiated by female FIFA accredited referees, the match saw plenty of shots but ended as a draw 0-0 with great saves from both goalkeepers.

Equal Paying Field co-founder Laura Youngson said ‘We are elated to have made history. The game, in thin air and on the back of a 5 hour climb was one of the hardest challenges of my life. However we had incredible team spirit, and it was a joy to play together”. Evidence will then be submitted to the Guinness World Records.

Playing an intense sport like soccer at a hight altitude can be dangerous for the human body. In 2007, the Brazilian club Flamengo had played a match at 12,467 ft (3800m) against Bolivia’s Real Potosi. Some of the team members needed oxygen by the end of the match.

See Equal playing Field website here. Catapult Sports equipped the players with the product to track their performance and be able to break the world record.

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