Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s women’s national football team made history on Saturday after playing their first-ever international fixture on home soil.
The team known as the Green Falcons, led by German coach Monika Staab, tied 3-3 with Bhutan in the international friendly match at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Stadium in Abha.
The trio was scored by Bayan Sadaka, Al-Bandari Mubarak and Noura Ibrahim in the 15th, 75th and 90th minutes, respectively.
This was the first match for the Saudi national team at home after it started its international career with two wins, 2-0, against Seychelles and the Maldives, in February 2022.
The team will face Bhutan once again in their fourth friendly match on September 28.
“Win, lose or draw, these home matches are historic moments in the transformative journey that women’s football is on in Saudi Arabia,” said Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) President Yasser Al-Misehal.
The increased participation of Saudi female players comes at a time when the Saudi Football Association (SAFF) aims to encourage the inclusion of women in sports.
In January 2018, Saudi Arabia allowed female football fans to enter stadiums and watch matches for the first time ever, in a historic move.
SAFF established its first official women’s regional football league, which was inaugurated in 2021.
