Photo: collected
Nouhaila Benzina wore a hijab for the first time in a Women's World Cup game on Sunday, when Morocco played South Korea. She was the first player to do so.
Nearly ten years ago, FIFA, the organization that runs football around the world, ended its ban on players wearing the hijab. This was done because of safety concerns.
The Moroccan defender Benzina, who is 25 and plays for her club team in Morocco, played against South Korea in Adelaide to make history.
Benzina posted about wearing a hijab on social media before the World Cup, but she hasn't talked to the reporters in Australia and New Zealand about it.
She recently told Al Jazeera that it would be a happy moment for her.
"Lots of work was done over many years, and thank God it had a positive result," she said.
"We hope to play at a high level and honour Moroccans."
Several other sports have lifted hijab bans in recent years including basketball, but it is still not allowed during official football matches in France.
The Moroccan women, coached by Frenchman Reynald Pedros, are at their first Women's World Cup on the back of a historic runners-up finish at the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.
They were thrashed 6-0 by Germany in their tournament opener, with Benzina remaining on the bench.
Source: BSS
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