Line’s dream is about to become a reality. The 14-year-old Jordanian girl will make history later this year when she takes part in her first ever football world cup.
Fifa’s Under-17 Women’s World Cup will kick off on September 30 in Jordan, the first time a Middle Eastern country hosts an international women’s football competition.
Line and 20 other girl footballers, including devout Muslims who play with head coverings, have been practising hard for the tournament with a British coach.
“Here in Jordan ... it was frowned upon to see a girl play football. But now things have changed,” Line said.
She still remembers how she defied social conventions in a conservative society when at a younger age she decided to join the boys of her neighbourhood in a game of football.
For decades football was hands off for women but that changed in 2005 when the Jordanian federation – headed by Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, a half-brother of King Abdullah II – formed the first national female team.
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Prince Ali, a vice president of Fifa who ran but failed to be elected president of football’s world governing body, is credited with having helped Jordan’s bid to host the U17 girls’ tournament.
In May, Fifa said on its website that the first Jordanian women players who took to the pitch more than a decade ago “have impressed” and “did not disappoint”.
British coach Robbie Johnson is confident that the U17 girls’ team will shine at the upcoming World Cup.
“This particular group are certainly keen to make a mark and certainly put the Middle East on the map,” Johnson told AFP as he worked with the girls on one practice night.
“It can be definitely the start of something to say to women, particularly in the Middle East or in the Gulf states as well: Look you can actually play and compete,” he said.
The girls’ training for the big day is tough.
Line – a striker – and teammates listen carefully as the coach details his strategy with specific instructions to the wingers and goalkeepers, while parents sit back and watch the practice unfold.
“My goal is to get these players as competitive as possible and then who knows what may happen,” said Johnson.
Organisers of the tournament say it will reverberate beyond the pitch and contribute to change in Jordan and the wider Arab world.
“We are using football like a platform for social change,” said Samar Nassar, a former member of Jordan’s national swimming team who heads the kingdom’s organising committee.
The upcoming tournament “is an opportunity to create a durable heritage for Jordan and the region” that would help challenge stereotypes and empower women, she said.
Line agrees. Football, “has taught me many things. I feel more responsible and I have become more sociable.”
Jordanian female athlete Yasmeen Khair is one such woman whose name is linked to change.
A gymnast who won several awards over the years and the nickname “the kingdom’s butterfly”, Khair was among the first women football players to play for Jordan.
Fifa chose her as “ambassador” of the U17 World Cup.
Her mission is two-fold, to promote the tournament and raise awareness of girls’ football.
“I speak to girls a lot. I tell them they must live this rich and unforgettable experience,” she said.
Khair said the beginnings of women’s football in 2005 was tough.
“We had to face a lot of difficulties but bit by bit things began to change,” she said, recalling how interest in female football grew in Jordan “especially that we won more tournaments than the men”.
On its website, Fifa quoted Khader Eid, a former coach of the women’s national team, recalling some of the hurdles that had to be overcome.
“We were conscious of the difficulties we would encounter to coach these young girls while respecting traditions and getting through to their families,” he said.
Jordan now counts 720 registered women players, a small number in a country with a population of 6.6 million but still a “decisive step” for women’s football, according to Fifa.
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Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
more from Janine di Giovanni
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
