Banaat FC: The UAE's 'game-changing' new club aiming to break barriers in women's football

Even on these particularly muggy evenings, when the September humidity bites most, a group of enthusiastic and earnest footballers travel from long and far to Al Khawaneej in a bid to change the perception of the women’s game in the UAE.

Some arrive from Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, or Kalba. It’s a serious undertaking, the two-hour training sessions held four times per week to get ready for next month's debut in the UAE Women’s Football League. Training often stretches to 10pm. Most participants have school, or work, the following morning.

But the excitement of a new footballing project in the Emirates has brought them here. Brought Noura Al Mazrouie, the former UAE national team goalkeeper, to be their coach. Brought Amal Wael, the UAE international forward, as the squad’s de facto “veteran” – admittedly, Wael is only 32 – and self-professed prankster.

Brought Maha Al Bloushi, the current UAE Under-20s captain, as goalkeeper. She is one of nine Emiratis signed up; seven of which represent the U20s national team.

Then there is Sabrine Mamay, an international forward with Tunisia, and fellow UAE residents, six in all, hailing from Palestine, Morocco, Philippines, Russia, India and Zimbabwe.

Here they are, on this stifling September night at the Football Association’s headquarters in Al Khawaneej: Banaat FC, the latest entrant to the top division of UAE women’s football.

“I came up with the idea when looking at an account online for UAE women's football and saw that none of the Women’s League clubs had Arabic names,” says founder Budreya Faisal, a long-time prominent figure on the men’s football scene in the country and the region. “And there wasn't much online about the Women's League.

“So I thought, instead of getting