Faiza Heidar Becomes First Woman In Egypt To Coach Men's Professional Football Team

Faiza Heidar, who had previously captained Egypt's national women's team, is now gearing up to coach a men's football club in the country. She signed a deal with the fourth division side Ideal Goldi, which is based in Giza. With this, Heidar became the first woman to train one of the country's professional men's football clubs.

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A former footballer herself, speaking about her journey as a female sportsperson, Heider said, "There is usually some mockery at the beginning," reports Reuters. "But then they realise that they will learn something, that they will develop their skills," added the 36-year-old. Heider played as a midfielder in the Egyptian Female Football National Team and was also the team's captain. Faiza Heidar said she was inspired to take up football since her childhood days when she used to practice in the streets with boys.

Faiza Heidar also revealed that she was the first Egyptian coach across genders to secure the Premier Skills Coach Educator status, certified by England's Premier League. “The turning point for me was the Premier Skills program," Heidar said during a TEDx talk, ">adding, "Its core intention is to help coaches develop their community through sports, improve their employment chances, and it has children and social integration at the heart of it all."

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Talking about her initial reservations against her daughter's love for the sport, Heidar's mother, Khodra Abdelrahman said, "I would tell her not to go. She would say: 'No, I will go.' She loved the sport. I let her go and prayed that God help her. And she did go, and she has done so well."

Feature Image Credit: Reuters

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