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Video of female soccer team making human shield around opponent adjusting hijab goes viral

by Alicia Cohn - 10/25/19 9:58 AM ET

A show of unity in sports went viral this week amid ongoing discussions about female players wearing hijabs during athletic competitions.

{mosads}A video of a group of female soccer players in Jordan forming an impromptu human shield around a female player on the opposing team when her hijab came loose on the field was gaining attention Friday morning. The moment happened during a 2018 Jordan Football Association Final Women’s League game, according to ABC News.

Bigger than sports.

When a soccer player’s hijab started falling off to reveal her hair, her opponents gathered around to provide cover while she fixed it. (via @JordanFA) pic.twitter.com/rSUxM0S5Xe

— ESPN (@espn) October 23, 2019

The clip from last year went viral after ESPN shared it on social media this week. ABC News identified the players from the surrounding team, the Shabab al-Ordon Club, as Stephanie Naber, Hiba Fakherdine, Shurooq Shathily, Yasmeen Khair and Noor Zoqash, but the player in the hijab, from Amman Club, did not want to be identified.

The clip is being shared as some teams in the U.S. struggle to define appropriate uniforms for players on sports teams. Female players on high school soccer and high school cross country teams have recently been penalized for wearing items that were not approved for wearing, such as #EqualPay t-shirts and a hijab.

Dictionary.com, “Westworld” actress Thandie Newton, author Glennon Doyle, The King Center and many others on Twitter noted the soccer clip as a good example of sportsmanship.

Sportsmanship: Fairness, courtesy, being a cheerful loser, etc.

Also sportsmanship: https://t.co/RQ10MYkMzL https://t.co/rlF0kvJHDD

— Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) October 24, 2019

Brought tears to my eyes Beautiful https://t.co/W4XPHiqpah

— Thandie Newton OBE (@thandienewton) October 24, 2019

When this player’s hijab started falling off to reveal her hair, her opponents gathered around to provide cover while she fixed it.
This is our mood today.
When one of us needs us: We stop. We huddle up. We protect each other.
I love the soccer. I love women.
G pic.twitter.com/60XhMsVPu4

— Glennon Doyle (@GlennonDoyle) October 24, 2019