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Genoveva Anonma has told of the ordeal she was put through to prove she was a woman. Image Credit: AFP

Footballer Genoveva Anonma has told how she was once forced to strip naked in front of officials to prove she was a woman.

The Equatorial Guinea star said she was in tears during the ordeal, which came after her powerful displays during the 2008 African Women’s Championship.

She scored the winning goal in the final on home soil after questions were asked about her gender by rival teams throughout the tournament.

Then after the game she was forced to undress in front of an audience at the insistence of the Confederation of African Football.

"They asked me to take all my clothes off in front of officials from CAF and the Equatorial Guinea team," Anonma, who plays for Turbine Potsdam in the Bundesliga, told the BBC.

"I was really upset, my morale was low and I was crying. It was totally humiliating, but over time I have got over it."

The 2015 men's Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Saturday in Equatorial Guinea.