When Rasha Elghorour made her international debut for Libya in 2016, she hoped it would be the first appearance of many, the start of a long national team career.
But after that groundbreaking Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Egypt, there were just three more competitive matches for Elghorour and her teammates. When the second significant wave of Libya's six-year civil war hit in 2019, women’s football ended in the country. It has never resumed.
“It was such an exciting time when that first match happened,” Elghorour tells The National. “There had been a Libyan women’s futsal team before, but we were the first 11-a-side. I remember the story had a lot of international attention.
“To be involved from the beginning in establishing the team was such a dream. It was a period of so much hope and to wear that national jersey and sing the anthem – it was something very special to me. I can still see it and feel it right now.
“I was part of the start of the Libya women’s national team; unfortunately I was also part of the end.”
Elghorour first fell in love with football age seven. She remembers playing with her relatives and friends on the streets, always sporting a baggy Manchester United shirt.
“We played in the streets all the time and then we would watch matches on TV – but they weren’t shown very often,” she explains. “There was Serie A – everyone loved Italian football – and then the World Cup and the Olympics.
“These are happy memories but in Libya, when you reach a certain age as a girl you cannot keep playing football in the street with boys.”
Elghorour gave up football, focusing instead on tennis, at which she quickly became proficient – even winning a regional championship in Tripoli. Then, while she was in high school, the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) announced it was looking for players to compete in a tournament that would ultimately prove to be a selection process for the national team.
“Like now, there weren’t any women’s clubs in Libya so the federation wanted help from the schools to find players,” she recalls. “Those of us who were lucky enough to make it started training and then we eventually had the chance to play in the [Afcon] qualifying matches against Egypt and Ethiopia.”
At that time, the LFF was looking to build the women’s game from the top down, rather than the ground up. It started by creating the national team and then began to recruit younger players for age group sides.
It was at this stage that Elghorour was approached to do her coaching badges; she became the first woman in Libya to have a coaching qualification, with a view to working with Libya’s Under-20 side alongside her duties as a senior player.
“It was a great time to be in Libya; parents were being encouraged to get their girls to play football and we hosted several tournaments. I was so happy to be a role model and to be involved in building the sport.”
Sadly it proved a false dawn and, in 2019, Elghorour and her teammates had their international football dreams extinguished. Discussions about launching a domestic women’s football league in Libya were also shelved.
Wanting to further both her football experience and education, Elghorour moved to the United States, where she studied at university in Arizona and New York. While at Niagara University in the latter, she joined the staff of FC Buffalo working in the club’s administrative team.
It was a decision that set her on a new path. Elghorour became the first Libyan to enroll in the Fifa Master’s programme and after graduating last year joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as an assistant general coordinator. Her current role focusses on delivering the CAF Women’s Champions League.
“It has been great to see this amazing women’s tournament get stronger each year but at the same time I am sad that there are no Libyan teams participating,” Elghorour says. “We still don’t have a women’s league, which is a requirement to take part in CAF competitions.
“In other countries you can see women’s football is growing but Libya is still way behind. I want to do whatever I can to help this but it is difficult.”
Elghorour wants the LFF to create a women’s football department but has continually faced resistance. Aside from a single board member, there is no other female representation at the federation.
“I passionately want to be a board member but for some reason they do not want me to be involved,” Elghorour explains. “I am begging the federation to let me come in to work on women’s football but I have had no success so far.”
With no clubs, no national team and no dedicated female facilities, Elghorour has a mountain to climb. She recognises the gravity of the challenge ahead.
“If we want to enhance women's sport in Libya, we have to enhance the organisations first,” Elghorour says. “We have women in politics and we have women in business but for some reason women in sport is just not accepted in the same way in Libya.
“There has to be a change in culture in Libyan society to accept this. The first step is for women to have better opportunities to play sport. If we want to fix it, we need to fix it from the ground. Let us also have women on the boards, women employed by clubs.”
Despite the myriad challenges, Elghorour still believes that the resumption – and future growth – of women’s football in Libya is an achievable goal.
“It is going to take time. I think that we could resume the national team within four years but to build a properly functioning women’s league could be more like 10,” she says.
“Could we have a Libya national team competing at the Africa Cup of Nations or Women’s World Cup in my lifetime? Right now it feels impossible, but of course I will continue to fight for this.”
Kill%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nikhil%20Nagesh%20Bhat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Lakshya%2C%20Tanya%20Maniktala%2C%20Ashish%20Vidyarthi%2C%20Harsh%20Chhaya%2C%20Raghav%20Juyal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
The specs: 2018 Ford Mustang GT
Price, base / as tested: Dh204,750 / Dh241,500
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque: 569Nm @ 4,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.3L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
England squad
Joe Root (captain), Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes (vice-captain), Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, Toby Roland-Jones, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
