The Afghan women’s refugee soccer team has officially been approved for international competitions, five years after its players escaped the oppressive Taliban regime in their home country.
During a meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, the FIFA Council announced on Tuesday that it would revise its regulations to formally recognize the refugee team, which will compete under the name Afghan Women United.
Although the team has missed the opportunity to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, they may have a chance to compete in the qualifiers for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his pride in the progress made by Afghan Women United, stating, “With this initiative, we aim to support them as well as other FIFA member associations that may face challenges in registering a national or representative team for FIFA competitions, facilitating their next steps in collaboration with the relevant confederation.”
The long-awaited recognition from FIFA has finally been realized after years of advocacy. The initial step came last October when the Afghan refugees participated in a tournament alongside teams from Chad, Libya, and Tunisia in Morocco. This achievement followed significant efforts by players, former captain and activist Khalida Popal, and various human rights organizations.
Currently, over 80 Afghan refugee players reside in countries such as Australia, the United States, and Europe. Recently, two training camps were organized for the women, one based in England and another in Australia.
Coached by Pauline Hamill, the team is anticipated to hold a couple of exhibition matches during the international window in June, with details about the opponents yet to be finalized.
The Afghan women’s team last competed in 2018, and the Taliban imposed a ban on all women’s sports after regaining power in 2021, prompting the players to flee to avoid persecution.
Prior to the team’s exile, the Afghan soccer federation faced inquiries into its treatment of the women’s program, with serious allegations of misconduct, including sexual abuse and physical violence. The federation’s president, Keramuddin Keram, received a lifetime ban from FIFA.
Despite FIFA’s prohibition against discrimination, the Afghan federation remains unpunished in international soccer, continuing to neglect the acknowledgment of the women’s team.
This report contains information from The Associated Press.