ANKARA: Morocco defender Nouhaila Benzina went down in history books on Sunday as she became the first football player to wear a hijab in a Fifa Women's World Cup match.
Atlas Lionesses' Benzina, 25, the only hijabi athlete in the Women's World Cup, played against South Korea that Morocco won 1-0 in a Group H match in Australia's Adelaide, wearing a white hijab, Anadolu Agency reported.
Moroccan forward Ibtissam Jraidi scored an early goal, which was the winning goal for her nation.
Morocco made their debut at the 2023 Women's World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
SPONSORED CONTENT K.T.I. achieves RM140 million sales Kota Kinabalu: K.T.I. Sdn Bhd’s The Logg, Luyang has launched Easy Care, its brand-new hospitality initiative, which aims to elevate the living experience by providing an all–in-one care to its residents at Shorea n Astoria. Read more Benzina was an unused substitute for Morocco's opening match at the tournament that Germany hammered them 6-0 on July 24 in Melbourne, according to Anadolu’s report.
In a 2014 meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), world football's governing body Fifa authorised Muslim players to wear hijab during matches.
* Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss.
* Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.