Every time Amira Mohamed entered the field, it was never just a game. For her, and hundreds of Egyptian women’s soccer players, the field was a battlefield, not one against opponents, but against generational skepticism.
“It was not always normal for girls to play football,” he said. “He felt as if no one has touched us seriously. But we move on anyway. We played in silence, without a audience, just for the love of the game.”
Growing up, Mohamed dreamed of playing under the lights of the stadium one day, wearing Al Ahly or Zamalek’s shirt, the two largest teams in Egypt, and listening to his name called by the commentators. At that time, he felt impossible, “a fantasy reserved only for children,” as she expressed.
But during the last decade, the change came, although slow and exhausting.
“Things have changed,” he told Al Jazeera. “It is now easier since the great clubs are investing, the games are on television and finally they are watching dreams.”
During the time that the Egyptians have known football, it has a game of Men Bone, played in dusty alleys, applauded full stadiums and broadcast on television screens throughout the country. Most women, however, watched from the side. That dynamic, for the most part, still remains. But in 2024, something changed. For the first time, the Female Premier League of Egypt was broadcast on national television, and for players like Mohamed, it was a time when their dreams finally felt attainable.
Released in 1998, the Women’s League had in darkness for years, with few clubs willing to support it, and recently as 2021, it presented only 11 teams. But in recent years they have brought an unprecedented change. Five new clubs have been joined, and youth teams have been introduced for girls in the U-15 classification, and even at the level of children under 13. Also Mega clubs such as Ahly and Zamalek have established women’s squads, driven not only by FIFA regulations but also by a growing awareness of the potential and power of women in sport.
And now, Egypt’s satellite channel in Sports has done something unprecedented; The female league matches are now on television, particularly those with marquee clubs, and in an additional surprise, some of these accessories now include analysis after the match.
A cultural change
According to the head of the National Women’s Team of Egypt, Abdel Fattah Abbas, the game has made significant advances, despite many obstacles.
“Much of the impulse [goes] To Sahar El-Hawary, a former member of the Egyptian Football Association and champion for a long time of the female game, “he said.
The Burgeonon movement also saw Egyptian players like Eman Hassan and Laila Beery sign professional contracts with international clubs, turning what once was seen a hobby in a viable professional career. Some parents are even registering their daughters in residential football academies.
Initiatives such as “1,000 girls, 1,000 dreams”, a collaboration between the British Council and the Ministry and Sports of Egypt, and the WorldCoachas KNVB program with Dutch financing, are empowering women in local communities.
“Each coach returns to their hometown, spreading the game and opening doors for girls,” says Basant Tarek, a veteran player and coach with KNVB. I thought some of these programs have concluded, their impact persists. Women’s soccer teams are now emerging in schools and youth centers throughout the country.
Far from being finished
For years, however, the progress of women in football was a hero for social stigma. Many parents refused to support the ambitions of their daughters, seeing football as a sport for children. Families to fear for the reputation of their daughters, believing that interpreting a traditionally masculine sport would be a rape of traditional gender roles.
Aya Abdel Hady, a pioneer coach with roots in Alto Egypt, knows first -hand the cultural resistance female of the face.
“It was difficult to obtain full support at the beginning,” he said. “There were so many obstacles: society, family and even clubs themselves. People simply did not see the value in women’s football.”
But his love for the game never doubted. The injuries restricted their career as a player, but they could not finish their football trip.
“In any case, they [the injuries] He pushed me into training, “he added.” It was a new challenge, and I accepted it. “
That transition was taken from local academies to elite roles, including the chief coach of the Sheikh Zayed Academy of Al Ahly and technical director of the City Club women’s division. Today, Abdel Hady Futsal Coach, a type of football that is played indoors with five players on each side, in Saudi Arabia.
Yara Amir, another rising star in the women’s football scene in Egypt, echoed the feelings of thesis transformation.
“The perception of women’s football has changed significantly in recent years,” he explained. “It is now more visible. It still does not match the popularity of the male game, but interest is definitely growing.”
That change was not easy. Amir recalled the skepticism he found from the beginning.
“Many people, although football was a sport for girls,” he told Al Jazeera. “They were really surprised to see me play. I had to prove, not only my ability, but it belonged.”
His trip advanced in childhood, kicking a plastic ball alone, before gradually joining the games with children in his neighborhood.
“That deepened my love for the game,” Amir added. “My family recovered, and that made the difference.”
A similar story belongs to Yasmin Yasser, a licensed coach and professional player who grew up in Mansoura, a city without a single league team.
“People thought football was only for children,” Al Jazeera told. “Many believed that the place of a girl was at home, not in the field.”
The setback was relentless. But Yasser accredits his late father, a former professional footballer, for being his firm champion. With few opportunities in his hometown, he tries his skills playing in the streets before joining the academies and possible to make his way in the ranks of Al Ahly. Yasser then enrolled in training programs, obtaining standard licenses D and C, which allows him to work with players from beginners to advanced skill levels.
“I want to be a model to follow,” he said, added, “not only for girls, but for parents, so they understand the value of supporting young talent.”
More to do
Today, with interest in women’s football throughout Egypt, defenders such as Abbas argue that the visibility of sport should translate into a tangible investment.
“Without them, these promising talents are at risk of being trapped in a cycle of sub -financing and lost opportunities,” he said. “The tasks of the steps were vital, but they are far from enough. The resources assigned to women’s football are still dramatically lower than those of the male game. This lack of support affects everything: equip, salaries, wages.”
For Abdel Hady, televised games are a sign of genuine progress, since “opens vors so that players are professionally and international.”
But growth, insists, is still fragile. The support of higher level clubs remains limited, and without long -term planning and true technical, financial and infrastructural investment, the impulse could be easily stopped.
“These televised games give girls throughout the country the opportunity to be seen, to believe that this path is possible,” Yasser agreed, but as Abdel Hady is very aware of disparities.
“There are lower level equipment that barely have uniforms, much less medical staff or travel funds.” At one point in his career, Yasser was paying his pocket for transport and training costs.
“Social doubt has not completely faded,” said Amir, echoing the same feeling. “Some people are not sure if women’s football is really worth it. But we continue to press.”
Like many of his teammates, he dreamed of playing professionally for the main clubs and one day put on the national team’s shirt.
“I also hope to be part of something bigger,” he said. “There is no limit to what we can do.”
This article is published in collaboration with EGAB.
