25-year old Moroccan defender Nouhaila Benzina made history in Australia on Sunday by becoming the first player to wear a hijab at a World Cup game.
In her first run-out at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, Benzina wore her headscarf in Morocco’s 1-0 win against South Korea.
Up until 2014, the wearing of head coverings for religious reasons was not authorised by Fifa due to concerns over player safety. Benzina is the first to reflect the veto on this ban, which was lifted almost eight years ago.
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Benzina has not made any comments regarding her historical headscarf moment, but has revealed that the World Cup is a proud moment for her and the Moroccan team. According to an article written by eNCA, she says:
“Lots of work was done over many years, and thank God it had a positive result,”
“We hope to play at a high level and honour Moroccans.”
Morocco is one of 32 teams competing in the Fifa Women’s World Cup this year, along with SA’s Springbok Women.
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Feature Image: Instagram / @endm.n
