SARA KHALID

Saudi’s Shining Star Of Women’s Goalkeeping

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Sarah Khalid, an iconic goalkeeper in women's football in Saudi Arabia, has inspired girls in her country to excel in the position.

AFC Champion

Khalid is one of the sports personalities who motivates girls to love the art of shot-stopping, powered by her Instagram account where she has over 14,000 followers.

Her account serves as a testament to her sporting journey, which has been marked by numerous titles at both club and national team levels, making her worthy of a spot in our Champions of Progress edition of TREND 11, presented by NEOM, the global partner of the Asian Football Confederation.

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Her Glittering Football Career

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Sarah's football journey began at Al-Ettifaq, where her father worked. At that time, women were not officially allowed to enter stadiums, but her father insisted on bringing his seven-year-old daughter to matches. As she told Al Arabiya: “That's how I fell in love with the game. When my father passed away, I felt that football was the bond that kept him alive in my heart. It started with following the news and watching Al-Ettifaq matches, and then I also played with my brothers’ and sisters' children.”

Sarah wanted to play football more but felt frustrated by the lack of competitive opportunities available at the time, so she turned to basketball instead of football. However, a futsal coach discovered her potential in 2019. She said: “I had moved away from football, but my coach asked me to try out as a goalkeeper. I was hesitant at first and it took three months before I finally agreed, but I loved it right away.”

Speaking about goalkeeping, she said: "Sometimes you may feel like you're playing a different game than your team-mates. It's a very physical role, but it also involves a lot of mental challenges. Decision-making is very important, whether it's staying, intervening, or catching the ball. It's very difficult, and all your small mistakes are highlighted more than any other position.”

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Khalid's journey with titles began in 2022 when, with Al-Mamlaka, she won the Kingdom Women's Championship, which was the first official competition organised by the Saudi Football Federation. This championship gave rise to the Saudi Women's Premier League, whose first season kicked off in 2022-23.

Khalid won the best goalkeeper award at the Kingdom Women's Championship in 2022 and she established herself as a key player for Al-Nassr, which took over Al-Mamlaka to compete in the first season of the Saudi Women's Premier League.

She continued to excel in the Al-Nassr jersey, making history by winning the first season of the Saudi Women's Premier League in 2022-23.

She repeated her brilliance in 2023-24, guarding Al-Nassr's goal throughout the league season to contribute to her club's victory in the league for the second consecutive time.

Speaking about her success in winning the Kingdom Women's Cup with Al-Mamlaka and then the two Premier League titles with Al-Nassr, she said: “It's very special to win three titles in a row. Knowing that your work and your teammates' work has paid off is an indescribable feeling.

“There have been a lot of obstacles, ups and downs, but it's been a great adventure for us. Now we don't dream of lifting trophies because we know that with hard work, our reality is that we will win them. What drives us is the achievements and records that we break.”

February 20, 2022 is considered a historic day in her career. Khalid was the starting goalkeeper for her country's Saudi team when it played its first international match against the Seychelles team in the Maldives, which ended with Khalid's teammates winning 2-0, making the match a record in the history of women's football in Saudi Arabia.

Since that match, Khalid has maintained her presence in the ranks of the Saudi national team, winning the 2023 International Friendly Women's Championship organised by the Saudi Football Federation in the Saudi city of Khobar. She said of the triumph: “This means a lot to me, gaining the trust of my teammates and the coach. It is a great honour, and I hope to do my best to support my team-mates. I want to be there whenever they need me, and to be the person who makes them believe that they can be great athletes on and off the field.”

In August 2024, Khalid participated as the starting goalkeeper with Al-Nassr, who played their first participation in the first edition of the AFC Women's Champions League, in the preliminary round, marking her first Asian participation in her career full of dedication and devotion.

Fan Champion

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“There have been a lot of obstacles, ups and downs, but it's been a great adventure for us. Now we don't dream of lifting trophies because we know that with hard work, our reality is that we will win them. What drives us is the achievements and records that we break.”

Sarah Khalid

Khalid has dedicated her efforts to promoting women's football culture in Saudi Arabia, particularly popularising the goalkeeper position. She participated in a panel discussion hosted by the Saudi Pro League's sponsor following the conclusion of the 2023-24 season under the theme "Empower Me."

The Al-Nassr goalkeeper expressed her pride in the remarkable growth of the Saudi Women's Premier League, which can be observed in the quality of professional players recruited during the past season.

Khalid's journey to raise awareness about the significance of the goalkeeper position in women's football continued as she participated in an episode of the popular Saudi podcast Eight Questions.

Her Community Impact

Charity Champion

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The episode garnered over 71,000 views on YouTube, reaching numerous Saudi girls who were inspired to follow in Khalid's footsteps and excel between the posts.

With the increasing popularity of the Saudi Professional League for men in recent years, Khalid believes that the Saudi Women's Premier League has a similar opportunity to build a lasting legacy.

She said: “I am very confident when I say that there is no limit to the growth of the Saudi Women's Premier League. We are getting tremendous support from the Saudi Football Federation and the Ministry of Sports.

“I honestly believe that [Saudi Arabia] will have one of the best leagues in the world. This is only our second year, so the opportunities for development in the coming years are immense.”