FA apologises to Muslim female football player after male referee banned her from playing because she refused to wear shorts

The Football Association has issued an apology to a Muslim footballer after a referee barred her from playing a match for refusing to wear shorts due to her religious beliefs.

British-born Somali football player and coach, Iqra Ismail was meant to play for United Dragons as a half-time substitute in a Greater London Women’s Football League (GLWFC) match against Tower Hamlets FC on Monday.

According to Iqra, GLWFC stopped her from playing because of her religious beliefs.

‘I was told that I was not allowed to play football because of my religious beliefs. Yes, you heard that correctly, in 2024’ she wrote on IG.

She continued: ‘The Greater London Women’s Football League have decided to stop me from playing because I refuse to wear shorts with my playing kit.’

‘I’ve been playing in this league for almost five years now wearing tracksuit bottoms and every year, they’ve made it more and more difficult for women like me to play.

‘Now this year, they’ve drawn the line and banned me from playing until I compromise my beliefs.

‘The Middlesex FA referee for yesterday’s game said that the league had told him strictly not to allow women like me to wear tracksuit bottoms regardless of the colour or if it matches our kits or not.

‘If we do not wear shorts, we cannot play. That is what I was told yesterday. So, of course, I stood by my principles, and that meant yesterday, I was not allowed to kick a ball.”