Reigning champions Al-Nassr begin title defense against Al-Riyadh Top flight sees 8 teams competing with 2-legged fixtures over 14 game weeks RIYADH: The Saudi Women’s Premier League Powered by Lay’s makes its highly anticipated return tonight as the 2023/24 season kicks off with the first round of opening fixtures. Top players, rising talents, and some of Saudi Arabia’s biggest clubs will be trying to make a big impact in what promises to be another groundbreaking year in the history of the Kingdom’s women footballers. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s vice president Lamia Bahaian said: “We’re thrilled that the Women’s Premier League is finally back, and we cannot wait for the action to get underway. “Last season was just the start of a massive evolution in the professional women’s game here in Saudi Arabia, and this time around the league will be even bigger and better. “We believe 2023/24 will usher in an exciting new era for the domestic women’s game.” Eight teams are competing in the Saudi top flight, with two-legged fixtures over 14 game weeks. Fans will be captivated and new generations of females inspired by the thrilling schedule of matches. All games will be shown domestically on the Saudi Sports Channel, with large crowds also expected given increasing audience interest and the league’s rising profile and popularity. The remarkable recent growth of the women’s game across the Kingdom is the direct impact of recent developments at professional level, including a vibrant summer window in which many of the Women’s Premier League clubs strengthened their squads, with regional and international players joining homegrown talent. Reigning champions Al-Nassr get their title defense underway tonight in a home fixture against Al-Riyadh at Al-Nassr FC Stadium. It marks Al-Riyadh’s first appearance in the Saudi top flight after earning promotion as First Division champions. Al-Nassr’s captain Munira Al-Hamdan insists that while the competition will be tough, the players are optimistic about their chances again this time around. She said: “When you’re champions each fixture is even more difficult because the opposition raise their game and have even more incentive to win. We want to win the league again this year.” Runners-up Al-Hilal are gearing up for an away clash against Al-Qadsiah in Khobar. Al-Hilal missed out on the title by a mere three points last season and the team hope to go one better this time around. Their captain Albandry Alhawsawwi said: “We’ve approached this season’s preparation with a fresh perspective by introducing a new coaching staff from abroad.” Saturday sees Eastern Flames host Al-Ittihad at Dammam’s Al-Nahda Club Stadium while Al-Ahli welcome Al-Shabab to Jeddah. The SAFF has signed a three-year partnership with PepsiCo. Lay’s has become the Women’s Premier League’s headline sponsors as a result of the deal. The partnership illustrates the federation’s commitment to empowering female footballers to ensure the league is at the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s evolving landscape. In another groundbreaking development, entertainment platform DAZN has acquired the international rights to broadcast matches across global markets outside the Middle East and North Africa region.