Afghan Women United, a refugee women’s football team formed after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, played its first match in a FIFA-organized friendly tournament in Morocco on Sunday. Although they suffered a 6-1 defeat to Chad, the match marked a significant moment for the players, who have been denied the opportunity to participate in the sport they love due to restrictions imposed on women’s sports in Afghanistan.
The team’s establishment followed the prior ban on female athletes since the Taliban regained power in August 2021, leading many players to flee Afghanistan out of fear for their safety. Before the regime change, Afghanistan’s national women’s football team boasted contracts for 25 players, most of whom currently reside in Australia. The Afghan women’s national team had last competed internationally in 2021.
With support from FIFA, the formation of the Afghan women’s refugee team was approved earlier this year, and Pauline Hamill was appointed as the head coach. Through collaborative discussions with FIFA, the team chose the name “Afghan Women United,” signifying their resilience and unity.
In their debut match, Afghan Women United started strong, with Melbourne-based striker Manozh Noori scoring the team’s first goal via a penalty kick, igniting celebrations among her teammates. However, Chad quickly equalized and went on to secure a comfortable victory in Berrechid, a town located 40 kilometers from Casablanca.
Captain Fatima Haidari expressed deep gratitude for being able to represent Afghan women on an international stage. “That’s all we wanted all these years after trying so hard to get what we truly deserve as a woman. Our right to play and to represent our country,” she said prior to the match.
The tournament, which also features teams from Tunisia and Libya, was initially scheduled in the United Arab Emirates but was relocated to Morocco after the Afghan team was denied entry into the Gulf nation. Afghan Women United’s next matches will be against Tunisia and Libya, offering them further opportunities to compete despite the hardships they have faced.
This event symbolizes not only the spirit of Afghan women athletes but also serves as a hopeful reminder of their determination to reclaim their place in sports and society. The visibility provided by the tournament can inspire future generations of sportswomen in Afghanistan, highlighting the importance of women’s participation in sports worldwide.
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