Afghan Women’s Soccer Team Fights for Recognition and Opportunity
Refugee players from the Afghan women’s soccer team are determined to continue their international careers, a chance they lost in 2021 when the Taliban regained control. Among these players is Fatima Yousufi, who fled to Australia with a backpack and a dream of playing international soccer.
Previously, women like Yousufi and teammate Mona Amini were able to study and play soccer freely until the Taliban took over, shutting down all women’s sports. The national team players fled Afghanistan to escape persecution. Thirteen players resettled in Australia, dedicating five years to living, training, and hoping to represent their country once again.
This week, 23 members of the Afghan Women United program are training in Auckland, New Zealand, preparing to face a team from the Cook Islands. Although the Afghan national soccer federation does not recognize the women’s team, FIFA has granted them eligibility for international competition as of April.
“It was a special day when we learned that Afghanistan can represent our flag in international tournaments,” said Amini, reflecting on the result of their hard work over the past four or five years.
The Afghan team recently participated in the “Unite” tournament, achieving a victory over Libya. This moment was significant for Amini as the anthem played during an international match for the first time in three years.
For Melbourne-based goalkeeper Yousufi, the recognition from FIFA was monumental. She recalls feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of having a national team once more, given that many lost family, childhood memories, and the national team identity upon arriving in Australia.
Aside from those in Australia, Afghan players are spread across Europe and the United States. Coach Pauline Hamill conducts talent identification camps, uniting the squad for games. Memories of their darkest days serve as motivation to succeed and advocate for women and girls still in Afghanistan.
The Afghan women’s team last competed officially in 2018. In Afghanistan, playing soccer was fraught with risks such as Taliban detection. Yet players like Amini are proud to continue fighting hard for their team’s existence.
Before the Taliban’s return, Amini juggled roles as a student and athlete. It was challenging to play soccer as a girl due to familial and societal barriers. The dangers they faced, including bombings, were ever-present, but they embraced those risks to remain part of the team.
“The only thing humans want is freedom, and the Taliban took our freedom,” Amini said, highlighting the barriers to education, sports, and dream pursuits under Taliban rule.
The refugee players aim to represent all Afghan women and girls. Amini stressed that they strive to be advocates, working toward a future for the next generation of the Afghanistan women’s national team.
Yousufi added that as players “adopted by the Australian government,” they pursue their journeys in soccer and education, raising their voices for girls in Afghanistan.
“Our team might be the one to change societal perspectives and improve conditions for girls and women in Afghanistan,” said Yousufi, emphasizing their ongoing efforts to prove that women can partake in education and sports.
AP source: AP Soccer