EMAN SAMIR ALI

Egypt – From the lecture halls of the Faculty of Physical Education at Assiut University to the ranks of international referees, and from the fields of emerging women's teams to the stages of international sports, Amal Hassan Hussein embodies a story of willpower and determination that inspires girls in all of Egypt.

In the city of Assiut, where customs and traditions are deeply rooted, the story of a girl who decided to break barriers and forge her path to glory was born. Amal Hassan Hussein, a daughter of Upper Egypt, refused to be confined by the traditional view that limited sports to the male sphere. Instead, she faced society with determination and patience, until she became a university professor at the Faculty of Physical Education at Assiut University and an international football referee.

Her journey began in 2013 when she enrolled in the Faculty of Sports Sciences, a step that was by no means easy. Society in Upper Egypt viewed this field as exclusively for men, and considered a girl's entry into it unusual. But she faced this view with unwavering determination and insisted on achieving her dream, defying social constraints, until she became a role model of willpower and success.

Success is the Fruit of Hard Work

Amal Hassan Hussein says that the beginning wasn't easy. She faced staunch opposition from her family, but when university admissions were announced, she had already passed the entrance exams for the Faculty of Sports Science and found that this major was the most suitable for her among the available options. She tried repeatedly to convince them, and thanks to her persistent efforts, they finally agreed and gave her the freedom to choose her path.

From the very first moment, she set a clear goal for herself: to prove her worth and confirm that her presence in this field was no mere coincidence. Indeed, from her first year at the college, she began to demonstrate her excellence, ranking among the top ten students. She then progressed to second or third place depending on the results, until she graduated in 2017 at the top of her class. She was then appointed as a teaching assistant at the same college in 2018. She notes that those four years were not easy; she faced numerous challenges and difficulties, but she overcame them through personal hard work and the support and encouragement she received from her professors. Success was the fruit of this effort.

Regarding her beginnings in football, she says she wasn't a player from a young age, but rather started playing in her second year of university when her professors suggested she join the women's football team. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in her career. She noted that at that time, Assiut didn't have any women's football teams until 2015, when the Muslim Youth Club established the city's first women's team.

She added, "Since I had a great passion for women's football and the game in general, I immediately agreed and joined. We participated in the Premier League in 2015, and the Muslim Youth Club team managed to win first place in Upper Egypt. At that time, women's teams in the region were very rare; there were only two teams in Aswan and one in Minya."

Between 2015 and 2022, the team's performance fluctuated from season to season due to the constant turnover of players. Most of them were students at the Faculty of Sports Science, and upon graduation, they would return to their home governorates, making it difficult for them to remain in Assiut, especially those living in the Nile Valley or Sohag. Over time, the number of players began to dwindle, and the team also faced other challenges related to limited resources.

With the team's activities ceasing, Amal Hassan Hussein's playing career came to an end, as she explained. That was her last year with the Youth Club, after which she began a new phase in coaching. In 2019, she participated in the "1000 Girls, 1000 Dreams" project of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, which was her first opportunity to coach.

She pointed out that the "1000 Girls, 1000 Dreams" project was a turning point. They would visit schools to spread the word and encourage students to try it, especially since the project was free and provided complete sportswear. Over time, parents began bringing their daughters, and the project spread from Assiut to other districts. Thanks to collective efforts, the project expanded to multiple branches, and her former teammates, who had played with her, took over the management of these centers, supporting and believing in the idea. Today, there are numerous women's academies.

She later received offers from academies, joining the Zamalek Academy and then the university's football school, further expanding her experience. At the Cement Club, she was asked to establish a women's football academy as the nucleus for forming a women's team, an idea she enthusiastically embraced. She saw it as a real opportunity to spread the sport in Upper Egypt, especially since the Cement and Petroleum Clubs are among the most prominent clubs in Egypt, as she stated. As time passed, the idea began to spread, and societal awareness of women's football changed, particularly with the broadcast of Premier League matches on satellite channels.

As for her entry into the field of refereeing, it began in 2019 when refereeing tests were held, and girls were given the opportunity to apply. She was offered a chance to participate, and although she wasn't ready at the time, she was encouraged to apply and prepare for the physical fitness test later. Amal Hassan Hussein applied and successfully passed the written exams, but she didn't pass the first physical fitness test due to her unfamiliarity with the format. She then passed the retake, and was the only woman to do so. Over time, she began to understand the nature of refereeing and gradually developed her skills.

After progressing, she refereed youth matches, then the Women's Premier League with the Minya team, before moving to Cairo to referee matches between 2021 and 2024, despite the difficulty of commuting between Assiut and Cairo with her university responsibilities. In 2021, she applied for the international tests but was unsuccessful, which she considered an opportunity for further development. Last year, her name was added to the international list, making her eligible to become an international football referee in 2025. This is her second year on the list.