Afghan Women’s Football in Exile; Former National Team Players Return to the Field in England

Photo: REUTERS/John Sibley via english alarabiya

A group of former players from Afghanistan’s women’s national football team, who were forced to leave the country after the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, have now returned to the pitch in England.

According to Reuters, the event, held as part of FIFA’s identification camp at “St. George’s Park,” was more than just a training session. For the players, it symbolized resistance and hope. Despite the struggles of migration and being banned from playing in their homeland, they have kept football alive as their voice of protest and freedom.

Elaha Safdari, a former national team goalkeeper, told Reuters: “When the Taliban came, I had to burn my sports gear and trophies and delete my social media accounts, because football was a crime for women. Today, after four years, returning to the field is full of love and joy for me.”

The camp marks the final stage of FIFA’s program to form a 23-member Afghan refugee women’s team, led by Scottish coach Pauline Hamill, which FIFA President Gianni Infantino described as “an important step in the right direction.”

Najma Arefi, another player who left Kabul at the age of 18, emphasized: “A dog in the streets of Kabul has more rights than a woman. We want to use football to be the voice of Afghan girls and show that they have not been forgotten. Even if the world closes its eyes, we are still here and we are not afraid.”

While Afghanistan’s men’s national team continues to compete internationally under the country’s name, the Taliban-controlled football federation has completely banned women’s sports. Safdari stressed that Afghan women’s goals go beyond training camps: “We want FIFA to recognize us and allow Afghanistan to be represented in exile.”

The players believe that football in exile has given them another chance to stand tall and to hope; a chance to deliver a message of resistance and inspiration to girls who, under Taliban restrictions, have lost their dreams of education and sport.