LAHORE: Pakistan’s national women’s football team are gearing up for Saudi Arabia’s first international women’s football tournament next week, a competition they hope will gain them more international exposure.

The four-nation friendly tournament featuring Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Comoros and Mauritius will kick off at Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium in Alkhobar on Jan. 11.

The Saudi women’s national team has, since 2021, been coached by Monika Staab, a former German international who had coached both Bahrain’s and Qatar’s women’s sides after a trophy-laden career. Under Staab, the Saudi team played their first match in 2022 against the Seychelles, winning 2–0 in a friendly tournament in the Maldives.

During the tournament in Alkhobar, Pakistan will square off against the Kingdom on Jan. 19, after their opening game against Comoros on Jan. 11.

“Inshallah, we’ll be able to make Pakistan proud,” Pakistan captain Maria Khan told Arab News in an exclusive interview, adding that she welcomed the development of women’s football both in the Kingdom and at home.

“It’s for Asia, for the world, for FIFA ... it’s a positive step for everyone,” she said.

In September, the Pakistani women’s team participated in the South Asian Women’s Football Championship and won 7-0 against the Maldives.

The team’s head coach, Adeel Rizki, sees the upcoming tournament in Saudi Arabia as a good opportunity for players to get more international exposure.

“We have not played in this type of competition before. I think it’s a good start and we feel like it’s going to be a good tool for football development in Asia,” he told Arab News. “It will be a good competition for us and for our athletes to be able to compete at that level and to get exposure. We have a chance to play on the international stage, which is something that we look forward to all the time.”

He said the team was well-prepared for the event which would also help build sporting ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

“It’s something that is a good learning experience for us and for them as well,” he said. “We’re excited about it and we think it’s going to be a very good tournament.”