MOROCCO footballer Nouhaila Benzina was inundated with love and support after making World Cup history.
The defender appeared for her national side in the shock 1-0 win over South Korea in Adelaide on Sunday.
And she did so wearing a hijab – the first player to wear one in a World Cup match.
The Islamic headscarf was authorised to be worn during matches for religious reasons by Fifa in 2014.
And the 25-year-old star took to the field to etch her name into the history books at a senior women’s international tournament.
Trailblazer Benzina, who has played for a Moroccan club since 2016, was an unused sub for her country’s opening match at the World Cup – a 6-0 thrashing by Germany.
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But she played the full 90 minutes as the Lionesses of Atlas recorded their first World Cup win ever.
And that prompted a huge outpouring of messages and social media posts for Benzina, who will surely inspire millions of young Muslim girls dreaming of becoming professional footballers.
The centre-back shared dozens of them on her Instagram stories.
Others on Twitter also shared their positive reactions.
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One said: “Role model, game changer.”
Another wrote: “Love this.”
A third added: “This is wonderful to see and a brilliant example to everyone!”
And a final user replied: “Nothing but respect for this beautiful lady.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
