The Saudi women's football team achieved its first victory in history by defeating Seychelles 2-0 in their inaugural match, paving the way for their official entry into the FIFA rankings. The match took place on Sunday evening at the National Stadium in the Maldives, as part of an international friendly tournament featuring teams from Saudi Arabia, the Maldives, and Seychelles.
Under the guidance of coach Monica Stapp, the Saudi team fielded players including Sara Mohammed as goalkeeper, defenders Lin Mohammed, Tala Al-Ghamdi, Lana Abdul Razak, and Bayan Sadqa, midfielders Reem Al-Tamimi, Lian Al-Johari, Sara Hamad, Noura Ibrahim, and Al-Bandari Mubarak, with forward Al-Bandari Hawsawi. The bench included Lama Al-Anzi, Mashal Al-Harbi, Atheer Khalid, Saba Tawfiq, Jouri Tarek, Raghad Mukheisen, Mona Abdul Rahman, Hessa Al-Saad Allah, Farah Jafari, Asrar Al-Shaibani, Dalia Abu Luban, and Tahani Al-Zahrani.
The Saudi team finished the first half leading with a goal from Al-Bandari Mubarak, making her the first player to score a goal in the history of Saudi women's football. In the second half, Reem Al-Tamimi increased the Saudi lead by scoring the second goal from a penalty. The Saudi team will play their second match next Thursday against the Maldives.
The International Football Federation (FIFA) celebrated the first international match of the Saudi women's team and tweeted: "A historic photo... the Saudi team played its first match in the history of women's football today."
