After escaping the Taliban and years in exile, the Afghan women's soccer team rises again
FIFA’s April ruling lets 23 exiled players compete again as they train in Auckland and prepare for matches against Cook Islands and Libya.
- This week, 23 members of the Afghan Women United program are in Auckland, New Zealand, for a training camp and will play games against a team from the Cook Islands.
- After the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and shut down women's sports, 13 players settled in Australia, where they trained for five years hoping to represent their country.
- Fatima Yousufi and Mona Amini continued to play soccer for clubs, and seven months ago, the Afghan women competed in the "Unite" tournament, achieving a victory over Libya.
- On Tuesday, midfielder Amini told The Associated Press that hearing their anthem after three years during an international friendly tournament was a "very special moment."
- Serving as the voice for women in Afghanistan who remain unable to play, the team aims to create a path for a new generation of players.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Associated Press News
After escaping the Taliban and years in exile, the Afghan women's soccer team rises again
Fatima Yousufi and Mona Amini escaped the Taliban and found refuge in Australia with dreams of playing international soccer.
Afghanistan women return to international football after five-year absence
Afghanistan’s women’s football team will return to international competition this week for the first time in five years, facing the Cook Islands during a training camp in Auckland, according to media reports. The match will mark the team’s first recognized international appearance since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, forcing many female athletes into exile and effectively ending organized women’s sports inside the country.…
Refugees in Australia since the return of the Taliban in 2021, twenty-three Afghan players are playing official games in New Zealand this week under their national flag, after FIFA granted them the right to represent their country in April.
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