Maha Janoud, Syria's first female football coach, has experienced profound loss due to the civil war, losing her family for over a decade. Despite these challenges, she has taken refuge in Iceland and continues to pursue her passion for football. Janoud reflects on the difficulties faced by women's football in Syria due to a lack of support from the Syrian Football Association. With the AFC mandating the establishment of technical departments for women's football in 2018, Janoud has taken a leading role in advocating for women's involvement in the sport, driven by her own experiences and memories from her homeland.
It is deeply painfulmy family haven't been together for 12 years; I hope we can reunite soon and that countries will allow refugees to visit Syria.
There was only a small group of players who were passionate about playing football. The federation used us to participate in international tournaments without providing any financial support.
The Syrian Football Association was controlled by the regime of Assad, who packed it with loyal officials who ran it as their own personal fiefdoms for financial and other benefits.
The only woman in Syrian football, I felt the burden to push for change and development for women's football.
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