Banaat FC
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| Full name | Banaat Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Short name | BFC | ||
| Founded | 28 August 2023 | ||
| Owner | Budreya Faisal | ||
| Head coach | Bacary Sagna | ||
| League | UAE Women's Football League | ||
| 2025–26 | UAE Women's Football League, 1st of 9 (champions) | ||
| Website | banaatfc | ||
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Banaat Football Club (Arabic: بنات أف سي, lit. 'Girls FC') is an Emirati women's professional football club competing in the UAE Women's Football League. It was founded in 2023.
History
Emirati businesswoman Budreya Faisal, the CEO and owner of sports marketing agency Ghost Concept, initially planned to create a "fake" and online football club as a demonstration for the role of marketing aimed at clubs in the Arab world. Faisal also considered taking over a third division men's club and developing it.[1] However, she changed her plan to set up a women's club instead after encountering an Instagram account called "UAE Women's Football" and noticed that the majority of the teams in UAE Women's Football League were expatirate clubs.[1]
Faisal asked Pakistan national team player Maria Khan for help in setting up a team.[1] Banaat was launched on 28 August 2023, the Emirati Women's Day. Exclusively a women's club, it was named after the Arabic word for "girls" (Arabic: بنات, romanized: banat).[2][3] They aimed to be the first professional women's football club in Dubai.[4] The team was hindered by a viewpoint that women's football is incompatible with Emirati society's conservatism.[5]
Banat started in the second division of the UAE Women's Football League in the 2023–24 season. They finished third and won a promotion to the first division.[3] In 2024, they secured a sponsorship from Nike; the first independent women's club in the Middle East and North Africa region to do so.[4] On 4 January 2025, Bacary Sagna was announced as the new head coach of Banaat FC.[6] Banaat won their first ever title by finishing top of the 2025–26 UAE Women's Football League.[7] Banaat's first continental participation will take place at the 2026–27 AFC Women's Champions League, entering the preliminary round of the Asian club tournament.[8]
Home venue
Banaat FC does not have a permanent venue, and instead uses the United Arab Emirates Football Association's headquarters in Al-Khawaneej.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Khaled, Ali (18 September 2023). "How Budreya Faisal is looking to rejuvenate UAE women's football with Banaat FC". Arab News. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ McAuley, John (15 September 2023). "Banaat FC: The UAE's 'game-changing' new club aiming to break barriers in women's football". N Sport. The National. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023.
- 1 2 Abulleil, Reem (31 October 2024). "UAE women's team Banaat FC seeking silverware in sophomore year". Arab News. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- 1 2 "Trailblazing UAE women's football club Banaat FC announces groundbreaking partnership". Goal.com United Arab Emirates. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Banaat FC - Changing the future of Emirati women's football". Inside FIFA. FIFA. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Bac to the Future: Bacary Sagna joins Banaat FC". Banaat FC. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ↑ "The New Champions in Town! Banaat FC win first League Title". Banaat FC. 21 May 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "AFC Women's Champions League 2026/27 - Preliminary Stage challenge finalised". Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 3 July 2026.