Inspirational UAE footballer and coach Houriya Al Taheri is the latest face of Nike’s Dream Crazier campaign in the Middle East.
Al Taheri’s film reveals her story of how her dream began the first time she kicked a football with her brother in a park as a child. Since then she has been committed to changing the narrative around female football in the region and continues to champion the unexpected in announcing her next crazy dream – to one day be the first Arab woman to own a football club.
Scouted at age 17, Houriya started her athletic journey as goalkeeper for the UAE National team in 2009, leading the national women’s team to victory in 2010 and 2011 at the Women’s West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championship. Since then, Al Taheri has become the first FIFA Arab coach, leading the UAE National team to make history, defeating Iraq in 2017 securing their first ever victory in a Women’s World Cup qualifier.
Al Taheri’s efforts have had an undeniable impact on the development of the game in the UAE. “We are raising a generation of women who love football who are the champions of the UAE and who will one day, with a lot of hard work and dedication become champions of the world. The doors are open for anyone to chase this dream and we are entering it with vigor, we are here to stay”, she says.
A sporting hero for the region and around the world, Al Taheri’s influence is not limited by borders, as she shared her insights at the UNESCO’s #ChangeTheGame event at their headquarters in Paris this week to discuss the future of Women and Football. During the event Al Taheri tackled the importance of upholding diversity, inclusion and gender equality in sport alongside internationally renowned female athletes and prominent figures.
Houriya has a broad perspective when it comes to her outlook on the game: “I’m not just a coach or an athlete, I’m a human, so helping people grow, or giving someone an opportunity is really important to me. I feel happy and content when I go home at the end of the day, knowing that I was able to do that – even when we lose a game, I always just think to myself: these young girls have an opportunity, that was not always available – and that is what is most important.”
