Saudi Arabia claims victory in its first ever women's international match

It was a historic day for Saudi Arabia as the women's national football team played, and won, its first official international match on Sunday.

The Saudis traveled to the Maldives to beat the Seychelles 2-0 in a friendly which comes just a month after the final team was named.

It will now face the Maldives in its second match on Thursday at the National Stadium in Malé.

It is another gesture toward loosening some of the strict rules that are still imposed on women living in the ultra-conservative kingdom, CNN reported.

Until the last few years, Saudi women had been mostly barred from participating in sports in public. However, Saudi leaders have been highlighting progress on gender issues at a time of scrutiny in the West over Saudi Arabia's human rights record.

In 2020, it launched a women's soccer league which organizers said would be "one more major leap forward for the future of our country."