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Morocco’s Benzina becomes 1st player to wear hijab at Fifa Women's World Cup
Published on: Monday, July 31, 2023
Published on: Mon, Jul 31, 2023
By: Bernama
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Morocco’s Benzina becomes 1st player to wear hijab at Fifa Women's World Cup
Nouhaila Benzina made her first start at the World Cup. - Sarah Reed | Getty Images
ANKARA: Morocco defender Nouhaila Benzina went down in history books on Sunday as she became the first football player to wear a hijab in a Fifa Women's World Cup match.

Atlas Lionesses' Benzina, 25, the only hijabi athlete in the Women's World Cup, played against South Korea that Morocco won 1-0 in a Group H match in Australia's Adelaide, wearing a white hijab, Anadolu Agency reported. 

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Moroccan forward Ibtissam Jraidi scored an early goal, which was the winning goal for her nation.

Morocco made their debut at the 2023 Women's World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

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Benzina was an unused substitute for Morocco's opening match at the tournament that Germany hammered them 6-0 on July 24 in Melbourne, according to Anadolu’s report.

In a 2014 meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), world football's governing body Fifa authorised Muslim players to wear hijab during matches.
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