adminIn a move likely to raise questions about its commitment to equal rights, Libya’s football association told the team it cannot fly to Germany today, citing concerns that it takes place within the holy month of Ramadan.
“The federation said you cannot play in Germany because of the need for fasting,” said midfielder Hadhoum el-Alabed. “We want to go but they say you cannot go.”
Libya had been due to play teams from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia and Germany in Discover Football, a tournament funded by the German government. It is billed as the biggest gathering of Middle-Eastern women’s footballers since the 2011 Arab spring.
El-Alabed, at 37 the oldest player in the squad and who played in Liverpool while earning a Phd in sports science, said the ban had shattered hopes that the fall of Gaddafi would bring social change. “Other teams can play (in Berlin), so why not us? If you could see the girls, when they were told, they were all crying.” — The Guardian.
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