Women’s sports have been banned in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power in 2021, forcing many athletes to flee the country in fear of persecution. Before the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan had 25 female footballers under contract, most of whom now live in Australia.
The Afghan women’s national team last played internationally in 2021, when they suffered a 5-0 defeat to Qatar. In May this year, FIFA approved the formation of an Afghan women’s refugee team, appointing Pauline Hamill as head coach.
After consultations with FIFA, the team adopted the name “Afghan Women United.” Their debut against Chad marked their first match in the four-nation FIFA Unites: Women’s Series, which also includes Tunisia and Libya.
“That’s all we wanted all these years after trying so hard to get what we truly deserve as women, our right to play and to represent our country,” captain Fatima Haidari said before the match.
