The official logo of the Women's Clubs tournament (Saudi - Jordan) 2023
Spain became the new world champion on August 20 by defeating the reigning European champions, England.
Throughout the last month, a total of 64 highly competitive football matches took place across two host nations, namely Australia and New Zealand.
Many attendance records were shattered and the Arab world made its entry to the world stage as the Atlas Lionesses earned their inaugural World Cup qualification. They further solidified their presence on the international stage by winning two matches and securing a spot in the Round of 16.
Continuing the momentum generated by the ninth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, another tournament will commence, 12,075 kilometers away from Australia.
In Amman, on August 23, just three days following the FIFA Women's World Cup Final, the first match of the inaugural Women's Clubs tournament (Saudi – Jordan) 2023 is scheduled to take place.
The Jordan Football Association announced on Monday 24, July 2023, the organization of the first edition of the Women's Clubs tournament (Saudi – Jordan) 2023.
The tournament will take place in Amman from August 23 to September 1.
It will feature the top four teams from the Saudi Women's Premier League (SWPL) 2022/2023 as well as the top four teams from the Jordanian Women's Professional League (JWPL) 2023/2024 based on their rankings at the end of the second half of the season.
The four Saudi teams are Al Nassr (the 2022/2023 Champions), Al Hilal (Runner-ups), Al Shabab and Al-Ettihad, while the four Jordanian teams are Etihad, Orthodox, Amman FC and Al Nasr.
The draw took place on August 2nd. The eight teams were divided into two groups.
Group A includes the first and third placed teams from the JWPL as well as the second and fourth placed teams from the SWPL.
The second group consists of the first and third placed teams in the SWPL alongside the second and fourth ranked teams in the JWPL.
Group A: Etihad (Jordan), Amman FC (Jordan), Hilal (KSA
Group B: Al Nasr (KSA), Al Shabab (KSA), Orthodox (Jordan), Al Nasr (Jordan).
The first and second of each group will qualify for the semi-finals and will battle for a place in the final that will be played on September first.
In the nineties, choosing football as a hobby was almost inconceivable for girls and women. In a society that had previously rejected the idea of women playing football, the "Nashmiyat" had tosurmount a multitude of challenges to pursue their passion.
Years later, they managed to break through and succeed.
The Jordanian national team was established in 2005, and on September 23 of that year, the team played its inaugural international match against Palestine.
In spite of not having a wide pool of players to choose from, Jordan later went on to win the West Asia Women's Championship in their inaugural appearance.
AMMAN, JORDAN - APRIL 6: Jordanian Forward Maysa Jbarah #10 celebrates after scoring first a goal ... [+]
Even though stereotypes persist, there has been a shift in popular perceptions, and a framework has been put in place to facilitate girls' entry into women's football in the country.
In 2016, Jordan achieved the distinction of becoming the first country in the Middle East to host the FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
Just a year later, in 2018, the nation hosted the Women's Asian Cup, making it the first Arab country to ever host this tournament.
Due to the significant influence of religion in Saudi Arabia, the formation of a women's national team was not possible for an extended period.
It was only a few years ago that women in Saudi Arabia were granted the opportunity to participate in football.
In December 2019, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) arranged the inaugural unofficial women's competition in Jeddah.
Just a year later, in February 2020, an official nationwide tournament known as the Saudi Women's Football League, primarily focused on three major cities - Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, was launched.
Following the creation of the league, calls for a creation of a women's national team increased.
On 11 August 2021, the SAFF appointed the German coach Monika Staab as the head coach of the newly-established women's national team.
Saudi Arabia played their first games in February 2022, taking part in a friendly tournament in Maldives.
German coach Monika Staab leads a training session for the newly-established Saudi Women's National ... [+]
In their first match, on February 20, the Green Falcons defeated Seychelles in a 2-0 win. In March 2023, Saudi Arabia women’s national team entered the FIFA Women’s World Ranking for the first time.
Nisreen Al-Khazaaleh, the Head of Women’s football at the Jordanian Football Association, believes that this tournament is the first of many collaborations between her country's federation and its Saudi counterpart.
Jordanian women's football proved itself over the years as a dominant force in the region, while the Saudis have been witnessing significant progress in the development of their women's competitions.
The exchange of experiences and knowledge is essential to guarantee the "continuous development of women's football in the region".
The matches will be broadcasted on the official YouTube Channel of the Jordanian Football Federation as well as on Jordan Sports TV Channel.