Farida Hanafi
Footballer (born 2005)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Farida Ashraf Mohamed Hanafi (Arabic: فريدة أشرف محمد حنفي; born 7 December 2005) is an Egyptian naturalized Saudi professional footballer who plays as a defender for Saudi Women's Premier League side Al-Ahli and the Saudi Arabia national football team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Farida Ashraf Mohamed Hanafi | ||
| Date of birth | 7 December 2005[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Egypt[1] | ||
| Height | 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Al-Ahli | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2023 | Al-Shabab | 9 | (1) |
| 2023– | Al-Ahli | 37 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2025– | Saudi Arabia | 8 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals as of 2 December 2025 | |||
Early life
Hanafi was born into a football-loving family and was first inspired to play the sport by her older brother.[2] Supported by both parents, she trained regularly despite the absence of organized women's football in Saudi Arabia at the time. At the age of 13, she began individual training and later joined a girls' football academy, which included a development trip to Valencia, Spain.[2]
Club career
Following the establishment of the Saudi Women's Premier League, Hanafi joined the Riyadh-based club Al-Shabab.[2] The 16-year-old defender made her debut in a 2–1 victory against Al-Ahli on 19 November 2022 and scored her first and only goal for the club in a 19–0 win over Sama on 11 February 2023.
Ahead of the 2023–24 season, she moved to Al-Ahli and made her debut on 14 October 2023 in the season opener against her former club Al-Shabab. She scored her first goal for Al-Ahli on 26 January 2024 in a 5–1 victory over Al-Hilal.[3][4] On 2 September 2025, she renewed her contract until 2026.[5]
International career
After completing her naturalization and obtaining Saudi citizenship, she received her first call-up from head coach Lluís Cortés for the April training camp in Khobar. She made her senior international debut on 8 April 2025, starting in a 1–2 friendly defeat to Hong Kong.[6]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 13 September 2025[1]
- Notes
- Appearance(s) in Saudi Women's Super Cup
