Afghan Women Footballers: “We Are the Silenced Voices of Afghanistan’s Women”

Photo: Abdel Majid BZIOUAT/AFP

While women in Afghanistan remain deprived of their most basic rights, including education, employment, and sport, a group of Afghan women footballers in exile are writing a new story of resistance and hope.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), despite being far from homeland, these players continue to fight for their dreams and strive to be the voice of Afghanistan’s silenced women.

Manizha Noori, a 22-year-old player and member of the Afghanistan women’s football team in exile, said that when the Taliban returned to power in 2021, “I wanted to die, because I could no longer do what I love.”

“I asked myself whether I wanted to stay in a country that bans women from studying and playing sport,” she added.

Now living in Australia, Noori scored her team’s first-ever goal during their debut appearance at the FIFA Unites: Women’s Series tournament in Morocco.

Despite suffering two defeats against Chad and Tunisia, the Afghan team secured an emphatic 7–0 victory over Libya in their final match; a win many saw as a symbol of comeback and breaking silence.

Nilab Mohammadi, a 28-year-old player, told AFP: “Football is not just a game for us; it is a symbol of life and hope. There is no freedom for women in Afghanistan anymore, but now we are the voice of those women who have been silenced.”

Mina Ahmadi, aged 20, added: “In Afghanistan they took away our dreams, but when FIFA recognised us, we felt that part of those dreams came alive again. We keep moving forward because football is our way of living.”

Earlier, FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the Afghan women’s return to the international stage as “the beginning of a beautiful story,” saying: “These women are writing hope for millions of girls around the world.”

The Afghanistan women’s football team, known as Afghan Women United, is composed of Afghan players based in Australia, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Italy, and operates under the direct supervision of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The team is coached by Pauline Hamill, a former player for Scotland’s national team.