Four years after the players from the Afghanistan women's national soccer team fled their homeland due to the Taliban's takeover, several of these athletes are representing their country again as refugees in a soccer tournament. This marks a significant move towards their goal of being officially recognized as a national team on the international stage, and they have collectively named themselves Afghan Women United.

Captain Fatima Haidari, who currently resides in Italy, expressed her excitement about reuniting with her teammates: “It’s really exciting to see each other, hug each other and finally share and play together. As an athlete, I say you will face challenges and difficulties in your life, but you always can overcome and never give up. Never give up.”

The tournament, organized by FIFA, features a four-team friendly competition in Morocco, including the Afghan refugee team alongside teams from Chad, Libya, and Tunisia. Dubbed FIFA Unites: Women’s Series 2025, the event commenced on Sunday. This opportunity follows years of advocacy from players, including former captain and activist Khalida Popal, and various human rights organizations aimed at facilitating the team’s return to competitive soccer.

Popal noted the significance of this moment: “With all the challenges that we have been through, all the barriers that we faced, finally, after four years and some months, the girls are playing football as the Afghan team, but with no title.” Although she is pleased that the girls are playing, she remarked, “Is it enough? No. But it’s a good start.”

Initially scheduled to take place in Dubai, the tournament was moved to Morocco after reports arose that players faced visa issues in Australia, where some of them had settled. FIFA has not provided an explanation for the change in location.

The last official competitive game for the Afghan women's national team occurred in 2018, after which the Taliban's return to power in 2021 resulted in the suspension of women's sports across the country. Prior to this, the Afghan Soccer Federation was under investigation for misconduct within the women’s program, including severe allegations of rape and abuse. The federation’s former president, Keramuddin Keram, received a lifetime ban from FIFA.

The players fled Afghanistan amidst fears of persecution, and some revealed harrowing experiences, including the destruction of their kits to avoid detection. “We faced challenges or difficulties that I don’t even want to remember because it was really bitter,” Haidari stated. She conveyed her sadness over still having girls and women in Afghanistan who are unable to play but aspire to be on the international pitch one day, emphasizing their role as advocates for these individuals.

Many of the Afghan players now live in Australia, with others dispersed across Europe and some in the United States. FIFA conducted identification camps in Australia and England, ultimately selecting 23 players for the tournament from an initial group of 70, according to coach Pauline Hamill. Hamill remarked, “We want to show what we can do in the future, we want to show our potential. And then it’s about, from this starting point, how we then move forward. So to get back on the pitch for these players is a big win.”

Despite the Afghan federation’s obligations under FIFA statutes to prevent discrimination, it has not been suspended from international soccer, even in light of its failure to acknowledge the women’s team. The players and their supporters have long sought official recognition. Recently, in May, the FIFA Council approved a Strategy for Action for Afghan Women’s Football. However, the team still cannot officially represent Afghanistan in Women’s World Cup qualifying or Asian championships.

While this tournament in Morocco is a crucial first step, Popal indicated a desire for the team to achieve independence from FIFA. She stressed the need for meaningful recognition as a national team and the establishment of an independent national soccer federation to ensure that girls are not silenced. “Our players have been fighting for that right for so long,” Popal stated, acknowledging the absence of governance in the current initiative but expressing a hope for its establishment in the future.

In their first match, Afghan Women United faced Chad and lost 6-1, with Manozh Noori scoring the only goal for the refugees. For the players, the games transcend mere victories; they embody a powerful statement of resilience.

“I feel safe. I feel free as a girl, as a woman, to have a normal life, to play, to dream,” Haidari expressed, reinforcing the importance of representing the hopes of all girls and women in Afghanistan who share dreams of playing soccer.