The Iowa Raptors FC are excited to announce two big name signings to our Women’s WPSL team, Joya-Maria Azzi and Noor Noujaim! Both ladies are coming to us from the Lebanese National Soccer Team, and Central Methodist University where they were National runner-ups.
Joya-Maria Azzi is a Lebanese National Soccer Team player and and she currently plays with the Central Methodist University Eagles varsity team. She grew up in Okaibe, Lebanon and started playing soccer in her city with the boys at just four years old. Since her youth, she has joined many boys teams since then, before starting to play Futsal with her high school team at 13. Joya joined her first girls soccer team, Zouk Mosbeh, at 14 years old, followed by playing with the U17 team, U19, then with the first team. When she was 18 years old, she went to play with Eleven Football Pro (EFP) and played with their U19 and first team.
At 17 years old, Azzi got called up to play with the U18-19 Lebanese National Team and got 8 caps in two different championships. At 18 years old, she got called up for the Lebanese Women‘s National Team (first team), and until current date, she has 7 caps. After playing two years with Eleven Football Pro (EFP), she got the chance to come to the USA to play with CMU.
Some achievements include: Lebanese Futsal high school tournament champion, One-time winner of the Lebanese Women’s League, two-time winner of the Lebanese Women’s Cup, two-time winner of the Lebanese Women’s Super-Cup, Heart conference league champions, Heart conference tournament champions, NAIA National championship semi-finalist.
Nour Noujaim, a Lebanese National Team player, who is currently an international student at Central Methodist University playing with the varsity soccer team.
Noor played in a boy’s club until the age of 12, from 2012 to 2016. From then she joined a women’s soccer team, Zouk Mosbeh FC, from 2016 to 2018 and played with the u17, u19 youth teams. During that stint she was a two time Lebanese senior cup winner, 2 time Lebanese seniors league and a one-time Lebanese super cup champion.
After, Noor played with Stars Association for Sports (S.A.S) for one year, also in the u17, u19, and senior team. She won one-time Lebanese seniors league, one-time Lebanese seniors cup, 2nd place in the Lebanese u19 league and 2nd place in the 1st WAFF championship team seniors. In 2019, she joined Eleven Football Pro (E.F.P) and played for their u17, u19, and senior team. They won two-time u19 Lebanese league, one-time u17 Lebanese league, one-time Lebanese seniors cup year and 2nd place Lebanese seniors league. In 2018, Noor got called up to the u15 National Team. Following, she also got called up to the u16, u19, u18 and senior National Team. Noujaim has 26 caps with the National Team, both youth and first team.
The Iowa Raptors FC are looking forward to seeing them in action this summer!
