Women's World Cup: Why are there so few female coaches?

Hope Powell had kept her counsel after being ousted as head coach following England's dismal performance at the 2013 European Championship but in a recent Fifa conference, the sometimes spiky Londoner, let rip.

After talking about the number of female coaches being "squeezed out" of the game, she described a global percentage of 7% as "devastating".

While the ratio of female coaches at the World Cup in Canada is not quite that bad, the woman in charge of favourites says they need "more ".

Only eight of the 24 teams who have competed at the tournament had a female coach in charge but that includes the top two-ranked sides in the world - and the United States - who will square up in their semi-final on Wednesday at 00:00 BST. , external

's Silvia Neid is hoping to add another World Cup title to her glowing CV before she is replaced by another woman after the tournament - former international Steffi Jones. The 50-year-old has guided to the 2007 title and two European Championships during her 10-year spell in charge.

US manager Jill Ellis, who was born in England and moved to the US at 15, took over from Tom Sermanni, who was sacked in April, and hopes to continue in the path of Pia Sundhage, who guided the US to the gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics., external

The two teams may be arch rivals on the pitch but they are ed in their history of appointing women who have delivered success.

So why are there not more countries like them?

"Coaching is a rough job to go into," says Norway boss Even Pellerud, 61, the eldest coach at the World Cup and a man who oversaw his country's 1995 title success.

"Traditionally females have been hesitant to go into that and set their lives aside. It's a cultural and historic thing, of course. Happily we are seeing changes coming but that will not happen overnight."

There is certainly a battle to be won. A recent report from European football governing body Uefa, external said that 80% of coaching jobs in European women's football are held by men.

Few visible women coaches means that there is a lack of role models to inspire the next generation, says Powell, who was England manager from 1998-2013 and replaced by current boss Mark Sampson.

And with 97% of European coaching licences held by men, there is also a lack of qualified staff. Only 65 women hold a Uefa Pro Licence compared to 9,387 men.

"Some women might not feel brave enough to try it," Neid told BBC Sport. "I wish more women would. It's a beautiful job."

Perhaps it is no wonder there are so few qualified female coaches when there is resistance from the start.

Chelsea Ladies coach Emma Hayes, the only female manager in England's top division of the Women's Super League (WSL), says that she encountered sexism while doing her Uefa B Licence aged 17.

"I was asked to cup my ears on a couple of occasions," Hayes, 38, said. "I had to have quite a thick skin. I going home and being quite upset about it but I've got really strong parents who kicked me back out on the course and said somebody has to keep paving the way so make sure you're a part of that generation."

The experience was scarring enough, though. Hayes felt that opportunities in England would be limited so she decided to coach women's teams in the United States for the best part of the next decade.

Powell believes there is an undercurrent of sexism surrounding female leaders, as in business. She cites the critical reaction to tennis player Andy Murray appointing Amelie Mauresmo as his coach, external last year.

"People who make the appointments need to be asked: 'Do you not recognise or value women's qualifications">