\nMonika Staab has a dream that Saudi Arabia\u2019s women\u2019s national team will be among the world\u2019s best within the next decade.<\/p>\n
\nFor the German coach, that could first be in an Asian competition, and then hopefully down the line at the World Cup.<\/p>\n
\nAnd when that happens, we will look back on 2022 as the year that changed women\u2019s football in the Kingdom forever.<\/p>\n
\nIn February, under the guidance of Staab, the national team played their first-ever internationals against the Maldives and Seychelles in Male. And earlier this month, they made more history by contesting their first two internationals on home soil, both against Bhutan in Riyadh.<\/p>\n \n\u201cIt was another step for getting good experience for the national players, because that is what is lacking,\u201d said Staab. \u201cThey don\u2019t have many games, or they didn\u2019t have any or many games in the past. So we have a wonderful two opening matches in the Maldives against Seychelles and the Maldives, which we both won 2-0. So we wanted to play in Bhutan but because of COVID-19 we couldn\u2019t get into the country, it was difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\u201cSo then we decided to come to Saudi Arabia and play these two matches in Abha. And, of course, Bhutan was a very strong opponent, they had just played the South Asian Football Federation Cup. They came right after that tournament and played these games. And that was a real challenge for our team to play against them.\u201d<\/p>\n \nThe first match saw Saudi overturn a two-goal halftime deficit to draw 3-3, while the second ended in a 4-2 win for Bhutan.<\/p>\n \n\u201cI have to admit that Bhutan were really strong, knowing our strengths and playing a really good game. And our team was not quite as competitive as it was in the first game, but in the end lost 4-2, and I believe every loss every defeat, you can learn more out of it. And hopefully, it was a good lesson for the national players, about what we still have to do to be really competitive in the AFC Championship.\u201d<\/p>\n \nLack of match practice was another factor in those two matches, something that Staab is hoping will be addressed in coming months and years.<\/p>\n \n\u201cThe biggest problem was that when we finished our games in the Maldives, which was by the end of February, (at the time) they hadn\u2019t played a match since actually the end of September. So we\u2019re talking about almost seven months. They didn\u2019t play 11-a-side,\u201d said Staab.<\/p>\n \n\u201cTwelve players were involved in the GCC futsal tournament in Kuwait and then the West Arab Championship in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia where they won the silver medal, which was a great success for them also. But they didn\u2019t play 11-a-side, so we had a good training camp in Austria for almost 16 days and then for about 15 days we were in Abha to prepare for the two international games. But in the end, if you don\u2019t play the real game, 11-a-side, it means the experience is still not there.\u201d<\/p>\n \nMatch experience no doubt will increase thanks to the launch of the eight-team Saudi Women\u2019s Premier League earlier this month, alongside the 17-team First Division (formerly the Women\u2019s Regional League).<\/p>\n \n\u201cSo now I\u2019m very, very happy the league has started, we saw some incredible matches in Jeddah, and here in Riyadh. So that is where most of the national players (are), they\u2019re played in their clubs, which is great. So that\u2019s where they are now getting experience week by week, to learn how to last for 90 minutes, to have in the last minute enough strength and endurance to play the game over 90 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n \nThe establishment of these competitive league structures should lead to the emergence of more talented footballers across the country, she believes.<\/p>\n \n\u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable,\u201d said Staab. \u201cIt\u2019s a fantastic opportunity for our coaches, assistant coaches to observe every week the players, the performance of the players we have selected. And also the players will be looking for, especially young players who I think they\u2019re gonna come up. I saw in Al-Yamamah already two players which are very young, 15 years old. So that is what we will be looking for in this league, to have every weekend some maybe new players coming up, and especially the younger ones, because I think that\u2019s the future.\u201d<\/p>\n \nStaab also highlighted the role that the Saudi Arabian Football Federation has played, in particular the head of the Women\u2019s Football Department Aalia Al-Rasheed and supervisor and board member Lamia Bahaian.<\/p>\n \n\u201cAnd I\u2019m so delighted and so happy this league has eventually started under Aalia and Lamia, they made everything possible, that this league is going to be played in a real league format, not just a tournament like we did last year.\u201d<\/p>\n \nThe standard of the new league has been boosted by the participation of five of the country\u2019s biggest clubs \u2014 Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Shabab and Al-Ahli.<\/p>\n \n\u201cThis is a great development because now we are looking at (teams) which can have the facilities, who are working very professionally, who are already established in Saudi Arabia because of the men\u2019s team. And now they\u2019re willing to put up the women\u2019s game. I mean, it took Germany over 40 years before this happened \u2014 that a very, very strong men\u2019s team in the first division put up a women\u2019s team.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\u201cIt\u2019s just amazing what these women have done,\u201d said Staab. \u201cAdwa Al-Arifi, of course, from the Sports Ministry, she is also involved. They have played the game, Adwa, Lamia and Aalia, and they know what they are doing, and it is such a pleasure to work with them.\u201d<\/p>\n \nStaab says that having a quota of foreign players, one that allows space for the development of Saudi players, is positive for the women\u2019s game in general and should raise the standard of the local players.<\/p>\n \nStaab has also recommended the setting up of three regional training centers in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam that will look to unearth domestic talent, from ages 5 to 17. The aim is to produce Saudi age-group national teams in the future.<\/p>\n \nFor now, the schedule for the senior Saudi team is about to get much busier too.<\/p>\n \n\u201cI made a calendar for the whole year. So we will have about 10 games in a year (2023),\u201d said Staab. \u201cThat\u2019s what we tried to fit in, that\u2019s what (the) normal FIFA calendar gives.\u201d<\/p>\n \nSeveral matches will soon be announced for the start of the new year ahead of another expected landmark date for Saudi women\u2019s football.<\/p>\n \n\u201cOn the 31st of March 2023, you will see Saudi Arabia\u2019s woman in the FIFA ranks and this is again another milestone, another big achievement for the women\u2019s game in Saudi Arabia. I just talked to the President Yasser (Al-Misehal), he was very supportive, he said we need to play these games. They\u2019re all very supportive (of) the women\u2019s game.\u201d<\/p>\n \nStaab has also proposed that a GCC Cup for women be established.<\/p>\n \n\u201cI think this will happen soon because Kuwait is working on a young national team now. We had Oman \u2026 with their futsal team coming to Jeddah, the UAE have been very strong in the last few years. And also Bahrain since I established the national team in 2007. So they\u2019ve been growing. So that will be fantastic to play the GCC men\u2019s cup as well as the GCC women\u2019s cup.\u201d<\/p>\n \nSaudi Arabia is also bidding for the 2026 AFC Women\u2019s Asian Cup, which would mark the Kingdom\u2019s first participation in the competition\u2019s 21st edition.<\/p>\n \n\u201cThis will (give us) another four years from now to have a strong team competing there, if they get the bid. So we will have to wait until April next year until this decision is made.\u201d<\/p>\n \nStaab\u2019s long-term plan is to play enough competitive international matches so that her national team will be competitive by 2026. The ambitions go beyond that, however.<\/p>\n \n\u201cI\u2019m not only in charge of the Regional Training Center, I want the young players coming up, because that is your basis, that is your foundation. I also took care of the coaching education,\u201d said Staab.<\/p>\n \n\u201cWe have now done over 135 C-License coaches, 10 B-License coaches. Good coaches, especially female coaches mean you will be having better players,\u201d she said. \u201cSo I\u2019m really very keen on having good coaches, Saudi coaches, one day to take over everything, so we don\u2019t need them all from abroad. That they get experience, that get monitored, they get kind of capability to develop as a coach because I still believe in women\u2019s football and you need female coaches. It\u2019s also for your culture, for your parents.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\u201cThe officials are dreaming of going to the World Cup,\u201d she added. \u201cOf course it\u2019s a big dream. I know Aalia, Adwa and Lamia would like to go as soon as possible, but probably not (in) 2027. We have 2031 or 2035, we have to see how the development goes, but I can see now we are running so fast.\u201d<\/p>\n \nStaab says a foundation period of five years will eventually bear fruit.<\/p>\n \n\u201cThis is how you can achieve something,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you work hard, if you\u2019re determined, if you\u2019re committed, and have this passion and all these people, and also the national players have this passion for the game. Let\u2019s see how far in the end we will reach.<\/p>\n \n\u201cI think everything will be possible here in Saudi Arabia.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/sites\/default\/files\/userimages\/623726\/monika_staab_11.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/sites\/default\/files\/userimages\/623726\/monika_staab_12.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/sites\/default\/files\/userimages\/623726\/monika_staab_5.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/sites\/default\/files\/userimages\/623726\/monika_staab_9.jpg\")