Pioneering Muslim Female Referees Break Barriers

Sisters Rosheen Khan and Eleeza Khan are Wales’ first Muslim female football referees. When Wales sets foot on the global stage of the Women’s Euro 2025, so does the weight of their representation.

As trailblazers and history makers, the likes of Jess Fishlock and Hannah Cain have inspired a new era of budding young feet across the country. But while Wales may be etching closer to a level playing field in the world of football, for many girls and women the prospect of taking a ball onto a local pitch remains out of their comfort zone.

Community Impact and Inclusion Challenges

“So many people only watch women’s football games, as they’re truly one of the most inclusive,” said Eleeza. She said women wearing hijabs is not something typically seen in the football community, but community members in Grangetown, Cardiff, have really embraced it.

“One of nicest things was at my local community centre… a mum told me she hopes her daughter will grow up to be like me,” Eleeza said. But she said certain football trends were not inclusive, including watch parties in pubs involving alcohol which many Muslim women won’t take part in.

Rosheen agrees the impact of their visibility has been huge in their community, so much so she has been stopped in the streets. She said she felt very grateful to be able to contribute to the football community in their city, recalling being a little girl in the park using two jumpers as goals.

National Team Leadership and Vision

Wales’ captain Angharad James said Cymru qualifying for Euro 2025 was “so much bigger than just the football on the pitch”. “It’s about showing women and girls across the country that this game is for them too,” she said.

“Whether they want to play, coach, referee, work behind the scenes or support from the sides, I want every girl and woman in Wales to know there’s a place for them in this game, whatever role they want to play.”

Inspiring Late Starters and Community Building

Influenced by watching Wales and her daughter Yasmin’s passion for the game, Marisa Teodósio, from Cardiff, started playing football for the first time at the age of 45. Marisa, who has no family in the UK, started coaching at Canton football club and said she had been welcomed to the community, giving her a sense of belonging.

“Football is so inclusive,” she said, adding: “I’ve never been overlooked at all. It’s the highlight of my week, football to me is a life skill, it teaches resilience.”

Referee Pathway and Diverse Participation

Ceri Williams started refereeing across the junior leagues in Swansea at the age of 14, and has gone on to referee in the Uefa Women’s Champions League and most recently the FA Women’s Cup final. She wants other women and girls to feel inspired and get involved, as she says everybody comes from different backgrounds and gets into football in different ways.

“You don’t need to be the best player, I’m an absolutely awful footballer, but I don’t need to be,” Ceri said. “Football is a team sport, even if you take the referee route, you still feel like you’re part of a team.”

Growth Statistics and Future Investment

Female player registrations have increased 52% since 2022, according to the Football Association of Wales (FAW), which said it spent £4m over that period developing off-field and changing facilities for women and girls. It also spent £4.5m on artificial pitches with protected time for female teams.

The FAW said since the 2021-22 season there had been a 46% increase in under-18 registrations for girls, a 51% increase for girls aged 14 to 17, and a 53% increase for girls aged six to 13.

Original Article:

BBC News. (2025, July 3). ‘There is space for every girl and woman in football’. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly8dpqzz2no