AQABA, April 12, 2025 (WAFA) – Palestine's U-20 women's national football team made history on Saturday evening by winning the 2025 West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championship, defeating host nation Jordan 4-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout after the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

This marks the first-ever international title for any Palestinian women's national team across all age categories, a historic milestone in the development of women's football in Palestine.

The young Palestinian team earned their place in the final with strong performances in the group stage, including a resounding 9-0 victory over Kuwait, a draw with Syria, and a narrow loss to Jordan. The tournament followed a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the final.

Saturday’s final saw both teams struggle to break the deadlock in the first half, which ended scoreless. Just four minutes into the second half, Selina Ghneim opened the scoring for Palestine, converting a well-placed corner from Nareen Abu Asfar. Jordan equalized in the 76th minute through substitute Marah Abbas, also from a corner, sending the match to penalties.

Goalkeeper Mirave Marouf emerged as the star of the match and the tournament, saving two Jordanian penalties during the shootout. Her heroic performance earned her the award for Best Goalkeeper of the Championship.

M.N