Morocco defender Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to wear a hijab at the World Cup as she featured in her side’s shock 1-0 defeat of South Korea, ranked 55 places higher than the North African debutant nation (17th and 72nd, respectively).
Morocco’s first World Cup win was secured by Ibtissam Jraidi’s sixth-minute header.
“We are just so pleased our efforts have paid off. This victory is for Morocco and Arabs, it’s the fruit of our hard work,” said Jraidi.
Ibtissam Jraïdi scored Morocco's first-ever Women's World Cup goal to put them up 1-0 vs. South Korea 🇲🇦
Look what it means ❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/MMUSvAiI3K
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 30, 2023
25-year-old Benzina, who did not play in Morocco’s opening 6-0 loss to Germany, almost added to the scoreline but volleyed off the crossbar.
South Korea’s 16-year-old Casey Phair, the youngest player ever to feature in World Cup, had a chance at a goal but fired wide.
Fifa banned the wearing of all headcoverings in 2007, ostensibly because the presented ‘a safety risk,’ but repealed that ban in 2014. Benzina is the first to wear a hijab in a senior-level World Cup.
Several other countries and federations still exclude hijabi players. Just last month France’s highest administrative court upheld the French Football Federation’s ban as “suitable and proportionate.”