FIFA has reversed its ban on female Muslim footballers wearing a hijab whilst playing.
FIFA has reversed its ban on female Muslim footballers wearing a hijab whilst playing.
The ban was introduced over safety concerns that the Islamic headscarf might present a threat of choking if worn during a game.
The issue was first raised via the AFC women-s committee, of which FFA director Moya Dodd is Chairperson, before being taken up by FIFA vice president Prince Ali of Jordan.
On Thursday, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) voted unanimously to overturn the ban, and agreed to re-write the laws based on reports from FIFA's medical officer.
“Every kid wants to play in a World Cup or Olympics. This announcement will restore the dream for up to 650 million Muslim women and girls, including some here in Australia and all across Asia.
"I-m sure it-s just a matter of time before a hijab-wearing Westfield Matilda takes the field for Australia,” Moya Dodd told footballaustralia.com.au.
“I think we-ll look back and see today as an inflexion point in the history of the game. Football-s doors have been thrown open to a large segment of the population, with the important message that the game belongs to us all.
"Given the rapid growth of women-s football in less than 25 years of FIFA competition, I-m sure this will spur even greater interest and participation around the world.”