Meet first player to wear hijab at Women’s World Cup

A Moroccan defender, Nouhaila Benzina, has become the first football player to wear hijab at the ongoing Women’s World Cup in Australia.

Benzina, aged 25 wore the Islamic headscarf as she made her first appearance at the tournament when her side upset South Korea in a 1-0 win on Sunday.

Recall that Football’s world governing body FIFA authorised the wearing of head covers for religious purposes during matches in 2014.

That will allow female Muslim players who wear a hijab in everyday life to cover their heads during matches as well.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, below are the things to know about the Moroccan defender;

1. Benzina was born on May 11, 1998, in Kenitra, Morocco.

2. She is a defender for ASFAR and the Morocco women’s national team.

3. Benzina has been capped for Morocco at under-20 and senior levels.

4. She marked her debut World Cup appearance and it was also eventually the first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament for Morocco at the ongoing 2023 Women’s World Cup tournament in Australia.

5. Her marital status is unclear.

[email protected]