From Abu Dhabi to Leganés, this is the story of Nouf Al-Anzi

Nouf Al-Anzi (Abu Dhabi, 1996) is the first Emirati footballer to play in Spain. She plays for Legans, a team in Madrid’s ‘Preferente’ league, where she demonstrates her footballing and human qualities. “I’ve always wanted to be a footballer,” she told Marca’s ‘Primera Plana’.”My father played soccer. My (four) brothers also play soccer. And my mother loves it,” she says.

For Nouf Al-Anzi, football started out as a playful activity that took place in the family environment, where any gathering was a good excuse for the boys (and girls) to run after a ball. Nouf grew up watching icons like Brazil’s Marta Vieira and American Carli Lloyd on television, although the regime in her country made the possibility of becoming one of them unimaginable. “I have been fortunate to have the support of my family, my friends and the people who have come into my life who not only understood my passion for football but also saw it as healthy,” she says. “Women in my country are becoming more and more empowered, not only in football but also in other sports and other fields. Luckily, I haven’t had any obstacles to overcome to become a football player. On the contrary, I get a lot of positive feedback for doing what I do and they encourage me to keep going,” she stresses.

Signed by an App

In addition to the figures of her parents, Faleh Faisal and Sarah Alyousif, Nouf points to Houriya Al Taheri as a big reason why she, and other girls, are footballers today. “She created the first generation of female football players in our country and motivated us to continue and progress,” she asserts. “When I started there weren’t many girls playing football, but as some realized there were more who were actually playing, they started to join. Today the popularity has increased a lot and that’s incredible,” she says. There was only one prerequisite for Nouf to be able to play football: she has to finish her studies. “It’s difficult to combine the two, but it’s worth it,” says the Emirati, who has a degree in safety engineering and is currently studying for a master’s degree in sports management. “When I finish my career in soccer, I want to be able to stay involved in it and do something in my country to promote women’s soccer,” she says.

As there was no structured league in Saudi Arabia (it was launched this year), Nouf had to seek a living abroad. She played for a year with Wadi Degla in Cairo and last summer received a call from CD Leganes. Her international director, Faissal Chehade, heard about her through an app (The Legend App). “I have always liked Spanish football and it is a reference in all soccer schools around the world. I knew that coming to Spain was a big challenge for me, but also an exciting step in my career. Since I arrived, they have been very committed to me and I am very happy. They are teaching me Spanish and I try to teach them Arabic [although they communicate in English]. The city is very beautiful, I love it,” she says.

Debut with a goal

She landed in Madrid in September, but could not make her debut until November 19 due to bureaucratic problems. She did so against Madrid CFF ‘D’ in a match that ended in a draw (2-2), in which she spent 64 minutes on the pitch and scored her first goal for the club after just two minutes. “I don’t usually shoot much on goal, they always tell me that, but at that moment I didn’t think about it, I shot and scored,” she says with a laugh. “She’s a player with very good technical skills that brings more balance to the team,” analyzes Jero Martos, the manager, who uses her as a pivot in his 4-3-3 formation. “It’s taking her a little while to adapt because of the language issue, but every day she’s looking more integrated both on and off the field. She is disciplined, hard-working and eager to help,” he adds.

Nouf is already a member of a Legans team that is aiming for promotion this season. “Her arrival to the team has been a breath of fresh air. We’ve adapted to each other and we’re very happy she’s here,” says Mara Lzaro, team captain. “She speaks the same language as any of us, the language of football, and that makes everything easier. We can get by in English, too. And if not, there’s always sign language,” he explains. “She’s a very forceful, supportive and brave player. I think she’s going to bring us a lot, both in terms of soccer and emotionally,” concludes the coach.

Culture shock

The culture clash is proving to be as remarkable as it is enriching. Nouf does not wear a hijab, but he does wear T-shirts and long pants underneath her official kit and usually changes at home instead of in the dressing room. “We take into account her customs, which are very different from what we have here, so that she feels comfortable as much as possible,” says Maria.

In addition to Spain, Nouf is working with the United Arab Emirates national team, currently ranked 114th in the FIFA rankings. “We’re a team that has only been competing for a short time [their first official match was in 2010], but we’re making a lot of progress,” says the skipper. “Many teammates write to me to ask me about my experience and I encourage them to try abroad,” enthuses the ’10’ who is also an Adidas ambassador and is huge Alexia Putellas fan. “I like her for the career she’s having, for what she has achieved and for what she means to the girls. Hopefully what I’m doing will help girls in my country to look up to me and dream of becoming a footballer,” she said.