Several months after moving to Germany, Bernadette Amani is clearly where she wants to be, having won both the Bundesliga and the German Cup in her first half-season since joining Bayern Munich.

“It’s a dream come true for me to be here, and I’m living my dream to the full,” the 28-year-old midfielder told DW in a recent exclusive interview.

“Munich is a very, very big club. Beyond just making me happy, it’s a real achievement, a dream come true to be here, to play for such a prestigious club.”

Amani, who recently captained Ivory Coast at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), added that playing for Bayern’s women has been a major step up from what she had come to know playing for CD Tenerife Femenino of Liga F, Spain’s topflight.

“I was already professional when I was in Spain, but let’s just say it wasn’t quite the same level of professionalism,” she explained.

“In Spain or the Ivory Coast, the coaching staff might have consisted of no more than five or six people. But here there are eight or 10 people. And that enables them (the players) to perform at that high level for a long time.”

This structure, and the experience of the players around her, she said, make it virtually impossible for a new player not to improve on their own game.

“I’ve learned a great deal about aspects I wasn’t already aware of; how to position myself, how to position my body, how to interact with the ball and how to think. Really understanding the game is something I’m gradually learning alongside (the players) and the coaching staff.”

Moving to the capital to further education

Getting to the Bundesliga champions was anything but a straight, plotted path for Amani, who, when she began kicking a ball with the boys in her local village as a youngster, had no idea that football could be a career option.

Her parents were anything but encouraging of her passion. They just wanted their daughter to get a good education. To this end, she wound up moving from the village of Dougbafla, where she grew up, to the capital, Abidjan — a move that turned out to be pivotal to her career as a footballer.

Advertisement

“I discovered the women’s football league. I went to a match and, as luck would have it, it was the top team against the second-placed team,” she recalled.

“I saw the intensity, I saw the technique, and then I heard that so-and-so isn’t here today because she’s playing in Serbia, another isn’t here today because she’s playing in Turkey. And that was a real eye-opener for me; it made me realize that I could make a living from what I love.”

One of the clubs she watched on that day in 2019, Onze Soeurs de Gagnoa, offered her a trial – and she made the team. Within a year, she was in Spain’s third tier, and five years later, she found herself in Liga F with Eibar. Always looking to take that next step, she quickly moved on to Tenerife, her launching pad for Bayern, which she describes as “the top.” Still, there’s no question of complacency.

“Someone on the outside will say to you: ‘You’ve put in the effort, you’ve made it to Bayern, a club that wins titles, that’s professional and renowned all over the world,” she said.

“But someone who’s involved in football will tell you that’s where the hard part begins. Staying there is even better. And it’s hard not to let your guard down.”

Advertisement

Disappointment at WAFCON

With Bayern about to start their Women’s Bundesliga title defense against Union Berlin, Amani is back in the Bavarian capital following what will have been a disappointing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the Ivory Coast. Prior to the tournament, Amani had told DW that her team’s goal would be “to do no worse than we did at the last Africa Cup of Nations we took part in — that is, to finish third.”

However, not only did Ivory Coast fall to Algeria 2-1 in the quarterfinals, but to make matters worse, they’ve failed to qualify for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Ivory Coast fell 2-1 to Ghana in one of two play-in matches for the inter-confederation playoffs, the last possible path to the World Cup. 

While male players tend to get time off after a major summer tournament, Amani was already back on the Bayern bench for Saturday’s DFB Supercup win over Wolfsburg (3-0) – just two days after Ivory Coast’s defeat to Ghana in Casablanca. Now the focus is squarely back on retaining Bayern’s Women’s Bundesliga title.

Ali Farhat contributed to this article.
 

This article was originally published on July 28, 2026. It was updated on August 20, 2026 to reflect developments at the recent WAFCON tournament.

Advertisement

Edited by: Matt Pearson

England’s seam-bowling all-rounder Sam Curran’s hopes of making a Test comeback have been dealt a significant blow after he was ruled out for the remainder of the home season due to groin surgery. Curran, 28, had been expected to join the national squad for the ongoing Test series against Pakistan and could have earned his first Test appearance since 2021. However, Curran was booked to undergo an operation on his groin following the conclusion of The Hundred, and that has brought his season to a premature end.

“Sam Curran has been assessed for a groin injury and will undergo surgery on Friday. He will not be available for the remainder of the home season,” county side Surrey said in a statement.

England’s newly-appointed chief selector Marcus North had previously hinted that Curran could be considered as an all-round option after the retirement of Ben Stokes following their 2-1 defeat to New Zealand in June.

“With the retirement of Ben Stokes, it’s quite clear that he provided us with a certain balance in the team. Sam Curran is certainly a player of interest for us. He’s someone our backroom staff and medical team will be working with in the coming weeks to make sure that he potentially becomes an option in the third Test. He’s someone that we really value highly, and we see playing a role in the future for us as an all-rounder.”

The injury setback also coincides with fellow Surrey and England cricketer Will Jacks being ruled out of the Pakistan Test series after undergoing emergency surgery. Jacks, though, could yet feature for England in a white-ball series against Sri Lanka that concludes the men’s international home season.

“Will Jacks is currently recovering after a successful operation to remove his appendix. We will monitor his recovery and assess his availability ahead of the Sri Lanka series,” the statement from Surrey further said.

In Surrey’s ongoing County Championship game against Nottinghamshire at The Oval, uncapped Indian batting all-rounder Mahipal Lomror has been handed a debut and is filling in for Jacks, while his fellow countryman, leg-spinner Rahul Chahar, has missed out on the match due to a neck issue.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Featured Video Of The Day

Spain’s Royal Family Welcomes World Cup Champions To Zarzuela Palace

Troyes will entertain Paris FC at the Stade de l’Aube in their Ligue 1 campaign opener on Saturday. The hosts are back in the top flight after three seasons, while the capital club secured a mid-table finish in Ligue 1 last season.

ESTAC enjoyed an unbeaten run in the preseason, although their last two games ended in draws. They faced Panetolikos at home last week and were held to a 1-1 draw, with Renaud Ripart scoring in that match.

Les Bleus registered just one win in the preseason. They lost their last two friendly games, conceding seven goals. In their match against Angers last week, Pablo Pagis and Luca Koleosho were on the scoresheet as they lost 3-2.

Troyes vs Paris FC head-to-head stats and key numbers

• There is limited history between the two teams, who have met 14 times in all competitions. They have contested these meetings closely, with the visitors leading 6-4 in wins and four games ending in draws.
• They last met in the 2024-25 season of Ligue 2, and the capital club won both the home and away games with an aggregate score of 4-0.
• They will meet in the top flight for the first time since the 1973-74 season.
• Troyes have won their last five competitive home games, scoring at least four goals in three matches during that period.
• Paris FC have suffered just two defeats in Ligue 1 away games in 2026.
• Four of the last six meetings between them have produced over 2.5 goals.
• ESTAC have won just one of their last 10 meetings against the visitors, with that triumph coming at home.
• The capital club have seen over 2.5 goals in five of their last six league outings.

Troyes vs Paris FC prediction

ESTAC went unbeaten in the preseason, winning four of the six games, and will look to build on that form here. They have seen decisive outcomes in their last five competitive games, suffering two defeats, with both losses coming away from home.

Ismael Boura was injured in the friendly against Auxerre earlier this month and is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks.

Les Bleus concluded the preseason on a four-game winless run, conceding 11 goals in that period. Interestingly, they also scored at least two goals in three games.

Emmanuel Mbemba picked up a knock earlier this month and is facing a race against time to prove match fitness.

The capital club have won their last three meetings against the hosts, and considering their Ligue 1 away record in 2026, we back them to secure a narrow win.

Prediction: Troyes 1-2 Paris FC

Troyes vs Paris FC betting tips

Tip 1: Paris to win

Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals

Tip 3: Both teams to score – Yes