Pakistan’s top woman footballer and national team captain has been signed up by Saudi Women’s Premier League’s Eastern Flames Football Club, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.
Maria Khan, 31, is the first Pakistani female footballer to be signed by a Saudi club
Maria Khan has been signed up for this season to strengthen the Saudi club’s first women's team for the league, said the Dammam-based club,
The Saudi club announced that Maria Khan’s signing on the social media site of X, formerly known as twitter, saying “Maria Khan joins the ranks of Eastern Flames FC."
The tweet said “The Club’s management contracted with the first foreign professional to support the ranks of the women’s first team in the women's premier league this season.”
In reaction, Maria Khan hoped that playing with an international club would open more opportunities for Pakistani talent. “I hope this starts to create opportunities for Pakistani athletes and the talent that a lot of times goes unnoticed," she told a Pakistani TV channel.
Maria Khan has previously played for WAPDA in Pakistan. The midfielder got everyone’s attention earlier this year with her stunning goal on a free-kick to equalize the game against the hosts Saudi Arabia in a four-nation tournament.
Before Maria Khan, Hajra Khan became the first-ever female footballer from Pakistan to be signed up by a foreign club when she joined SHR Football Club of Maldives in 2014.