The national team was supposed to have its first international matches in the CECAFA Women's Challenge Cup in October 2007, but the event was cancelled.

The development of women's football in Zanzibar faces several challenges specific to Africa and their own islands, including efforts to politicize the game.

Zanzibar is a territory consisting of two main islands, Unguja/Zanzibar and Pemba, and is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania with its own government.

[1][2] Women's football in Africa has not developed compared to elsewhere because of a variety of factors, including limited access to education, poverty amongst women in the wider society, and fundamental inequality present in the society that occasionally allows for female specific human rights abuses.

[3] Another problem with the development of the game throughout the continent is that higher ability players leave to play in Europe or the United States.

[4] Zanzibar has unique problems relating to the development of the women's game including pressures for female players to wear the hijab while playing and pressure from male family members not to participate as their involvement may bring shame to the family.

[10][14][15] The players do not wear a hijab or cover up as part of their kit, which has led to criticism from religious leaders for playing in public while wearing shorts and jersey tops, instead of covering their bodies according to Muslim custom.

Aziza Mwadini and Sabai Yusuf are two Zanzibar based players who have participated in a Tanzanian national team training camp.