The Muslim News presents an essay collection by five Asian and Muslim women reflecting on the Lionesses’ UEFA Euro victory and what the historic win means for the future of the grossly underrepresented Asian and Muslim women in football.

Aamina Saleh, student

Watching the Euro 2020 final with my family, I remember the joy of watching Luke Shaw’s volley against Italy and the heartbreak following the penalty shootout loss. A year later, I got to feel the euphoria of the players. My family, who don’t usually watch the “not up to men’s standards” women’s game, watched and enjoyed the final. We celebrated together like we would for any other England team to win.

That moment reminded me of where we are now compared to where we were when I was a kid, even though I’m barely an adult right now. In my short lifetime, I have seen big changes in the landscape and attitude towards women’s football.

The last time an England team won an international trophy on the big stage in football, women were by law barred from participating in competitive matches. Winning the Euros not only shows how far we’ve come as a football nation but as a society in general. But of course, there’s a long way to go.

As Ian Wright said, if this doesn’t kick-start letting young girls play football in schools, then there was no point. The impact this victory has had is allowing girls to play, just like we do with boys.

The Lionesses team represents us all. We all shared similar struggles of not being taken seriously enough, travelling the extra miles because your local clubs didn’t have a women’s team, or having to plead with your parents to take you to sessions. I envied how easy it was for my brother to play. We share common memories of our time in football, and they have not always been so pleasant.

The women who made it to this stage to win such a trophy are the pioneers who have paved a very difficult road. But as minorities always do, we still have to fight for our seat at the table. Asian representation in all walks of football is almost impossible to find. Zidane Iqbal of the Manchester United men’s team is the only one I can think of who has made it to the highest level, and he is at the very start of his journey in football.

There are no Muslim or Asian players in England’s men’s team, let alone in the women’s. We are right at the start of the evolution of women’s football. As it always does, it will take time before we get a Bend it Like Beckhamesque story from one of our Lionesses, or even a young Asian lad given a chance in the England men’s teams.

The talent is there, we just need an opportunity to show it. It doesn’t bother me as long as the team wins, of course. However, having lived through it, a chance is all we’re asking for, both as Asians and Muslims, in this case, as women.

Winning the Euros has and will change a lot for so many girls who just want to play. But on a personal scale, Weigman, Tooney, Mary Earps, Kelly and the rest of the squad did something spectacular that special day at Wembley.

While we watched the final, my dad said that the quality of the football was “excellent”. It was fast-paced, energetic, tackles flying in, a “proper” final. And also that he would happily swap Gareth Southgate for the tactically brilliant Sarina Weigman! And that, to me, was even more profound than any winner’s medal ever could be. That was my victory, and I will never forget it.

Pooja Rami, special needs teacher

Thanks to the whole England squad, it was women who brought home the Euros after 56 long years! This wasn’t a fairytale win, it happened, and England deserved the victory! It is an incredible achievement for women to excel in any sport, let alone in a highly male-dominated one like football.

This win has empowered many women to believe in themselves and tackle challenges with a ‘can do’ attitude.
As a London borough teacher, its super encouraging hearing the likes of Sajid Javid and other top education leaders supporting the change in our PE curriculum to include more football for girls, rather than pushing only for standard rounders and netball lessons.

The predominantly white England football team at the Euros aside, this team encouraged many women’s football clubs up and down the country to enjoy the sport. Huge credit is due to Beth Mead and Rachel Yankey for attending our training session last year.

Drafting even one Asian player into the England team would inspire many more Asian girls and women to take football seriously. It’s a shame that 20 years on from the release of ‘Bend it like Beckham’, we’ve yet to see any Asian woman or man playing football for England, despite there being many British Asian ballers out there! The bosses involved in football management need to put stereotypes and negative judgements aside and adapt to the times to recognise others with skills, understand their differences and give people from Asian backgrounds the opportunity to thrive in football.

From the schoolyard to sports bar banter, women footballers have been laughed at, chastised for being slower than their male counterparts, and even sexually mocked. It takes tremendous strength to challenge derogatory comments, which can be exhausting and off-putting, especially on bad days. Conversations around women’s football are gradually changing for the better after the women’s Euros win. However, we all have a part to play in positively supporting women footballers.

Yashmin Harun, Chair Frenford & MSA FC, London FA Director, FA Council Rep, FA National Game Board

This win goes beyond football—this is a huge win for women in sports and society, for all the dreamers, believers, and fighters.

The fact that it was the women, once banned from playing, who brought football home says so much about how far women’s football has progressed. Huge credit is due to all those within the FA who put women’s football back on the map.

I hope more girls and women take up football or at least have a go. Many women from my generation have never played football, and now there are many opportunities to play, from walking, and recreational to competitive football. Football for women and girls is now accessible at various levels, and it’s the perfect time to get involved.

The success of the Commonwealth Games also highlights the importance of offering a variety of sports, such as PE, in school. I was fortunate to try many sports, including football, but this should not depend on where you live or which school you attend – sports should be offered to all children, especially girls.

There is a major challenge facing football, and that is the lack of facilities. Women’s and girls’ participation in football will increase massively, but the lack of playing facilities may be the contributing factor to why we cannot progress.

I have had a lot of involvement with the FA in making the pathways more accessible and easier, and I hope with the changes coming into effect that we will soon see a rise in the number of South Asian female footballers coming through the elite pathways. There is still a lot of work to be done. However, I believe the women’s and girls’ game is in a much better position than the men’s and boys’ game. Football is very subjective, but this generation has a stronger mindset, and, with the parents’ support, we will see better representation in the first team soon.

The conversation is slowly evolving, but the comparison to the men’s game has been frustrating. Also, the negativity associated with it can often put young girls off playing. Growing up, I had to play football with the boys. Fortunately, there are more girls’ teams now, which makes it easier for our community to get their daughters involved.

here is better family support than when I was growing up—the community and family would shun me because I loved football. Improved representation at all levels, from players to board members, administrators and coaches, has challenged stereotypes and shifted the conversation.

Safiyyah Ikram, primary school teacher

Growing up, my love for and desire to play football was considered strange. I would watch from afar as my brothers and cousins played, desperately wanting to join in but being always told “girls don’t play football.” I battled with these ideas and didn’t find many opportunities to play

. It was only when I moved to London that I found organisations like MSA, which facilitated women’s football. However, only a few women and girls attended the sessions. The idea of football being a “man’s game” was still deeply ingrained in their minds.

England’s Euro 2022 win against Germany went some way to changing mentalities and finally showing that women’s football is equally important. However, there still needs to be a greater representation of girls from all ethnic backgrounds to represent a more multicultural England team.

Schools and clubs offering all girls the opportunity to play football will go some way to helping with this representation. I hope England’s win against Germany has inspired all girls and women, regardless of race, to play football and know they can be the next lioness playing for their country!

Yasmin Hussain, football coach, Frenford & MSA FC

England winning the Euros was amazing, something I will never forget. The whole tournament was special from the lead-up, during and after; there was a lot of media coverage, and lots of events were held to celebrate the Euros.

The success of the Euros has inspired more women to get involved in football. It has shined a positive light on women’s football, and hopefully, lots of positive changes can come out of this for females in football, especially younger girls and the next generation.

The lack of Asian/Muslim representatives in the Lionesses team makes Asian Muslim players question if there is any hope for them. A visual role model is crucial, and not being able to see someone who looks like them will affect their desire to pursue it at a professional level. So, I hope Asian/Muslim girls can have a visible role model in the Lionesses .

Photo credits:
All images are supplied by contributors.