what is the status of women’s football in Qatar?

On October 18, 2010, the Qatar women’s national football team played the first match in its history (a 17-0 defeat against Bahrain). On December 2, 2010, Qatar was chosen to host the Men’s World Cup in 2022.

Twelve years later, the small emirate is preparing to welcome tens of thousands of supporters from all over the world. On the other hand, its female selection has disappeared from the radar since April 2014 and a fifteenth match (an 8-2 defeat, still against Bahrain). So much so that it no longer even appears in the ranking of the International Football Federation (Fifa) since the end of 2015.

So, were the Maroon Ladies – nickname for the players of the women’s team – created solely to give a good image to Qatar’s candidacy in 2010? ” I don’t know if we were created just for the World Cup. Me, I was just happy to play footballunderlines Suaad Salim Al Hashimi, captain of a dormant national team. Everyone can see that we haven’t played for a long time. Only at local competitions. So I can’t say we exist ».

The women’s national team in a gray area

Nigerian Gloria Kwabe, who arrived in Qatar in 2011 as a player, was its coach from 2018 to 2022. Since the former head coach left, we have only trained and played friendliesshe confirms. There were no more serious activities at the international level. Why ? I don’t know… In the meantime, there was the Covid-19 ».

Since then, the Qataris have played a few rare friendly matches, such as that of December 2020 with the American team Washington Spirit. An unofficial selection, made up of Qatari sportswomen, also played a match against Afghan refugees on November 10, 2021. Finally, a few rare female footballers completed an internship in the United States last September, including Suaad Salim Al Hashimi .

This situation may seem paradoxical in a country which has spent tens of billions of dollars for the Men’s World Cup, several hundred million euros in the French club Paris Saint-Germain, and which has made sport king its showcase.

Asked about the subject, the communication service of Fifa did not respond. This highlights her many achievements in promoting women’s football around the world. However, with strategies provides that ” by 2022, 100% [de ses] member associations must have developed a strategy for women’s football ».

Qatar is not really there since its Football Federation (QFA) does not directly manage the competitions and women’s teams in its country. Contacted in writing several times on this subject, no response came from the QFA.

« I can’t say Qataris love women’s football just like I can’t say they don’t. Because if they didn’t like it, they wouldn’t have accepted it in the first place, emphasizes Gloria Kwalbe. But I’m pretty sure that the Federation has an interest, but is still looking for a way to manage this issue of women’s football ».

Play out of sight

In the meantime, it is the Qatar Women’s Sport Committee (QWSC) which oversees it, like other women’s sports. Amna Al Qassimi, the executive director of the QWSC, invokes in writing the “ Customs and traditions », the « early marriage of some players ” where the ” study abroad to explain this lack of continuity.

The Norwegian researcher Charlotte Lysawho devoted an article in 2019 to this issue, within the book Sport, Politics and Society in the Middle Eastalso sees several causes: First, investment in women’s sports does not even come close to that of men, and elite sports have been favored over grassroots or community sports. So when Qatar established its first women’s national football team in 2010, there were no established structures at the lower levels. There were few successful attempts to develop lower-level activities or recruit women in the years that followed. »

The Middle East specialist also highlights cultural factors: “ Playing for a national team involves a certain level of exposure which includes wearing football attire and being physically active in public, including on television. Many Qatari women would not be comfortable with this, due to personal beliefs, family expectations or social norms. »

It is also enough to see the many sports campaigns carried out in recent years by the Qatari authorities aimed at young girls, highlighting them among boys of their own age, to understand that it is around adolescence that some societal blockages may arise. ” Many of the women I interviewed during my fieldwork had played football growing up with their brothers and cousins, only to be told it was no longer appropriate when they became teenagers.adds Charlotte Lysa. Others had family support to play football, and playing football in private or separate settings was seen as less problematic than in public or professional settings. The community of Qatari citizens is small and rumors spread quickly. Being known as a woman who plays football could imply that you are masculine and this is something that many Qatari women express unease with. ».

An analysis that Suaad Salim Al Hashimi shares in part: “ Yes, there are girls whose families don’t agree with them playing football. These families think that there is too much contact or that it is too physical. Or they don’t like social media showing their daughters. But there are also plenty of parents who don’t mind all of this and are supportive of their daughters. »

Hope

As a result, a national championship has existed since 2011. Each season, it brings together 6 to 8 clubs. Its objective is to broadcast football in the women’s community », « spread sports culture in general in society “, of ” recruit exceptional and talented players for national teams ” and of ” support and develop women’s football in the country “, enumerates Amna Al Qassimi.

« For me, it’s a great achievement.argues Gloria Kwalbe. Because it’s a little more open now. There are many more female players on social networks. Before, they weren’t used to going on social networks ».

Suaad Salim Al Hashimi plays for Al Khor, the best women’s club in the country. She could be bitter, because no one called her, despite all this, to contribute to the Men’s World Cup, even if a video showing players sending letters of encouragement to players of the men’s selection was released. ” We are in no way involved in the World Cup “, assures the one who has passed her coaching diplomas.

The 35-year-old could also be jealous of the Saudi women who played their very first international match last February and who have since enjoyed real institutional support. Their Federation, for example, has submitted a file to organize the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup which should qualify for the 2027 World Cup. I can see how the Saudis are progressing and I’m happy for themreplies the Qatari. Women’s football is complicated everywhere. So it’s wonderful to see this kind of support ».

And to conclude, with a touch of hope: We should all be optimistic because social media and the media can shine a light on women’s football. Hopefully after the World Cup we can open a new chapter for women’s football in Qatar. We have many talents and they deserve to be recognized. »

A wish that echoes the more global thinking of researchers Nabil Ennasri and Raphaël Le Magoariec in the book The Empire of Qatar: The new master of the game? : « From our point of view, it will take time for the progressive discourse carried by the authorities, in particular that carried by Qatari women, to take root in the heart of a society in motion, where women’s sport, despite everything, progressing slowly but surely. »