Born in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe (Belgium) to Moroccan parents, former footballer Ibtissam Bouharat was one of the first girls from an immigrant background to consider from an early age playing football. Belgian-Moroccan Ibtissam Bouharat was born in 1990. With hard work and devotion, she became a brilliant international footballer who gained fame both in Morocco and in Belgium. Before deciding to leave the field in 2016, she dedicated her time and energy to her passion, becoming the only member of her family to play football. «I started playing in our backyard, way before turning 10, but my parents did not let me join a club, as they thought football was a boy's thing», Ibtissam recalled. However, her love for this sport overcame all the obstacles set by her father and mother. After they were convinced with her talent, they eventually enrolled her in RSC Anderlecht, where she played from 2005 to 2006. Living in a household that was home to three sisters and four boys, Ibtissam Bouharat managed to influence her sister, who fell in love with football. Ibtissam believes to be one of the first girls from a Maghrebi immigrant background to join a professional club. She was quickly noticed by FC Malines, where she played for three seasons before getting transferred to DVK Haacht for one season. From one club to the other, she joined Standard Liege in 2012, winning the Belgian championship title and the Belgian Supercup, before returning to RSC Anderlecht and then joining Dutch club PSV Vrouwen. Ibtissam also played for the Moroccan national team. Her family moved from not agreeing with her playing football to becoming her biggest fans throughout her career. Football outside the field Beside her professional career in football, Ibtissam Bouharat managed to finish her studies and get a degree. She attended the Université Libre de Bruxelles and had a degree in business and management. «It was important for me to consider a career following that of sports and I am happy with this choice», she said. Today, this background has allowed her to integrate an international football expertise bureau, in which she aims to «increase [her] skills in football management to continue to evolve in this area and give a new turn to [her] career» in the world of football. «Trial and error in my life has helped me forge my personality and define who I am today», the former footballer proudly declared. «The first challenge was to affirm your presence as a woman in the world of football and to prove yourself. Things are changing slowly but surely». Ibtissam Bouharat The power of sports Currently, Ibtissam Bouharat says that «a change is certainly coming in the situation of professional football», although the issue of money is «still very present and will not change overnight», especially due to the fact that «women's football does not generate as much money as men's football does», explains the sportswoman. Outside the field too, having reached a certain professional level in Belgium allowed Ibtissam Bouharat to engage with certain associations. «Being the only player of Maghrebi origin in Belgium to have evolved into a professional club at the time, I became a role model for several girls - but also boys - from neighborhoods, who have been looking for an example to follow. So, I tried to help them achieve their goals through these activities, which were important moments in my career», she recalls. As a result, the footballer believes in the sports' ability to help «young girls and boys integrate and get a better future», even though «this path is not always easy». Outside the professional world, Ibtissam Bouharat is equally passionate about cycling, running, swimming, fishing and surfing. Recently, and in a spirit of triumph of the values of respect inculcated by this sport, she challenged the journalist of Radio Mars, Adil El Omar, after the latter made misogynistic remarks about women's knowledge when it came to football. For that purpose, she called him out and asked him to participate in a match among her women's team. «I have been in contact with Radio Mars ever since, we will hopefully be able to organize the event sometimes in September at a moment that would be appropriate for all», she hopes.
