Female players 'still objects', laments trailblazing coach

HONG KONG - France coach Corinne Diacre said female players face a constant struggle for acceptance and are often regarded as "objects" despite rising visibility and media coverage of the women's game.

Diacre made history when she became the first female coach of a French men's professional team in 2014, and she is now hoping to guide Les Bleues to the women's World Cup title next year on home soil.

But the former France captain, who amassed 121 caps and 14 international goals - including the strike that took France to its maiden World Cup in 2003 - said it hadn't been an easy journey.