AL-KHOBAR, Jan 25: History was made here on Thursday when the first ever all-female soccer match was held in the eastern province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In the historic match, the Al-Khobar-based Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University team defeated the Al-Yamamah Women’s College from Riyadh, in a penalty shoot out after the game had been tied 2-2 in regular time. Al Yamamah’s goalkeeper was named as woman of the match.
The match was held in a 35,000 capacity stadium in the city of Dammam and no men were allowed inside the stadium while the referee and the linesman were also female.
The first female soccer teams in the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom were formed some 18 months ago.
Saudi Arabia’s national soccer male team is one of the Asia’s most successful teams, currently ranking 57 in the FIFA ratings and has taken part in the last four world cups.
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