Noran Abaza started playing football quite by chance at the ripe old age of 17, when she was asked to fill in for a high school football team.
The former volleyball player clearly had talented hands and the ability to dive, as she spent the next few years playing goalkeeper in representative teams and in the women's national league in New Zealand, culminating in attending the world University Games as a member of the New Zealand team.
An ankle reconstruction in 2012 put a halt on Noran's football career and caused her to fall out of love with the game. A move to Brisbane and the opportunity to join the Brisbane Roar W-League training squad in the 2015/16 season reignited her love of the game. Now fully fit and charged, Noran will rejoin The Gap in 2018 for her fourth season in front of the nets.
"At my first session with The Gap in 2015 I was welcomed by the players and coaching staff as if I had been part of the club for years. From that moment I knew this was the club for me. I love the environment we have in the squad, we like to have fun but also know when to work hard and push each other. I enjoy the philosophy and style of play that we have at The Gap, the player mentoring program between the senior squad and the junior players and being able to watch them grow and develop. I re-signed for 2018 because this is the club that has made me fall in love with the game again and I want to help us re-establish ourselves as a powerhouse after a tough 2017 season and after losing some key players to retirement."
Coach Rob Askew says "Re-signing Noran completes the picture for us. In my opinion she is the best keeper in Queensland and the one best suited to our style of football. She is a great shot stopper and does amazingly well on crosses for a keeper who is not especially tall. Her greatest asset though is her distribution. She can throw or kick with both feet and this helps us play out in a variety of ways."
Welcome back Noran!
