Europe 1 with AFP 11:09 p.m., January 5, 2023
Saudi Arabia's Anoud Al-Asmari, 34, became her country's first female international referee, appointed by Fifa on Thursday, less than a year after the kingdom's women's national football team played their first match.
Anoud Al-Asmari: this is the name of the first female international referee from Saudi Arabia.
Fifa named the latter among its officials this Thursday, January 5, 2023. Since 2021, a football championship for women has been organized within the Kingdom.
"I am happy to be the first female Saudi referee to receive international status in the history of Saudi sport," she told AFP.
Seven other Saudi referees also received this status on Thursday.
Asked about the possibility of seeing her referee a match between men's teams, she said she would not think about it until such an eventuality had not received the approval of the Saudi federation.
Operation promotion for Arabia
The Saudi kingdom, whose national team caused a sensation at the World Cup in Qatar by beating Argentina, who then became world champions, in the group stage, is engaged in an operation to promote football.
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, signed on December 30 with Al-Nassr, in the Saudi league, and the country plans to join the ranks to co-organize with Egypt and Greece the Cup of the world in 2030.
A women's football championship has been organized in Saudi Arabia since November 2021 and the women's national team, coached by Germany's Monica Stapp, beat Seychelles 2-0 in the first game in its history last February.
Saudi Arabia has also entered the ranks to host the Women's Asian Cup in 2026 and is currently the only candidate to host the Men's Asian Cup in 2027.