Not only will Nahila be among the first Arab or North African team to participate in the tournament, but the 25-year-old defensive line player will become the first player to wear a hijab in the tournament at the adult level.
Nahila and the Atlas Lionesses face Germany, the two-time World Cup champions, in Melbourne, Australia, on Monday.
The captain of the Moroccan national team, Ghizlane Chebbak, said on Sunday: “We are honored to be the first Arab country to participate in the Women’s World Cup, and we feel that we have a great responsibility to give a good image, to show the achievements of the Moroccan national team.”
In the context, Asmaa Hilal, co-founder of the Muslim Women in Sports Network, said, speaking of the hijab, “The girls will look at (Nahila) with a petrol (and say) this may be me.”
“As decision-makers and administrators will say, we need to do more in our country to create these acceptable, open and inclusive spaces for women and girls to participate in the game,” she added.
#veiled #woman #World #Cup. #Moroccan #Nahila #Benzina #history