Football legend Pele congratulates Saudi Arabia women on first international victory

Pele has offered his congratulations to the Saudi Arabia women’s national football team after they won their first international fixture.

The side, managed by German coach Monika Staab, made their international debut on Sunday night in the Maldives, where they defeated the Seychelles 2-0 in a friendly in Male.

Al Bandari Mubarak opened the scoring at the Maldives National Stadium to become Saudi women football’s first international goalscorer, with Maryam Al Tamimi doubling the lead from the penalty spot four minutes into the second half. The Saudis round off the brief tournament against hosts Maldives on Thursday.

Reacting to the win on Sunday, three-time men’s World Cup winner Pele’s official Twitter account read: “I want to congratulate the [Saudi Arabian Football Federation] and their Women's National Football Team for their first ever official Fifa match. Today is a historic day not only for you, but for everyone who loves football.”

I want to congratulate the @saudiFF and their Women's National Football Team for their first ever official @FIFAcom match. Today is a historic day not only for you, but for everyone who loves football. @abdulazizTF @yalmisehal @adwaalarifi @ialkassim @lamiabahaian @Saff_wfd pic.twitter.com/hvpIshVwkL

In November, the kingdom established the 16-team Regional Football League, with eight teams then advancing to the National Football Championship, which was contested last month.

Speaking before the trip to the Maldives, Staab told the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s official site: "Our goal is for the players to gain the experience necessary to play international matches, in addition to that we seek to officially join the Fifa classification.

"Since last September, we have started