During Morocco’s 1-0 victory over South Korea on Sunday, Nouhaila Benzina became the first player in World Cup history to wear an Islamic hijab.
The 25-year-old defender was an unused substitute in Morocco’s 6-0 loss to Germany last week but was named to the starting lineup by manager Reynald Pedros for the critical match in Adelaide.
Fifa legalized the use of head coverings for religious reasons in 2014, and Benzina wore a white Islamic headscarf throughout the match in a crucial victory that kept Morocco’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages alive on their World Cup debut.
Morocco is one of eight teams making their debut at the Women’s World Cup this summer.
Benzina, who plays club football in Morocco, is the first senior women’s international player to wear a hijab.
She was an unused replacement in her country’s opening game, which they lost 6-0 to Germany.
Morocco is ranked 55 places lower than South Korea in the women’s world rankings, but attacker Ibtissam Jradi scored Morocco’s first World Cup goal in the sixth minute. Jradi dived forward to tip home a delicate header that went in at the far post after Hanane At El Haj whipped in a cross from the right.
Park Eun-sun nearly equalized with a diving header of her own at the opposite end, but her effort went agonizingly wide of the post, much to the relief of Morocco’s goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi.
Benzina, who plays for AS FAR (Association of Forces Armed Royal) in Morocco, made some vital saves and nearly scored from a set piece when she volleyed a snapshot over the bar.
She is the first senior women’s international player to wear a hijab. Fifa had prohibited the hijab for health and safety reasons, however, this was modified in 2014, just before the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan.
Casey Phair of South Korea nearly equalized late in the game, but the 16-year-old, who became the youngest participant in Women’s World Cup history in their opener, shot wide to leave them bottom of the group.
