FIFA has cleared Afghanistan’s women’s refugee team to compete internationally, five years after players fled Taliban rule. The FIFA Council approved regulatory changes in Vancouver to recognize the squad, Afghan Women United. The team cannot enter qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup but can compete in qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the move aims to support teams that cannot field official national sides.
The team moved closer to recognition last October when it competed in a Morocco tournament alongside Chad, Libya, and Tunisia after years of advocacy by players, former captain Khalida Popal, and human rights groups. Popal called the decision a turning point after officials repeatedly told the team it could not return under Taliban rule. More than 80 Afghan players now live across Australia, the United States, and Europe, and the squad has held recent training camps in England and Australia.
Also Read: West Bengal: TMC MP dares PM Modi ahead of Mamata win
Refugee team set for June friendlies
Pauline Hamill coaches the team and will lead it in two exhibition matches during the June international window, with opponents yet to be confirmed. Australia-based player Nazia Ali said the squad has competed under different identities in recent years but has always seen itself as the national team, and she hopes it will soon represent Afghanistan officially again. The team last played competitively in 2018 before the Taliban returned to power in 2021, banned women’s sports, and forced players to flee.
Abuse allegations in the women’s program triggered investigations into Afghanistan’s football federation even before the team collapsed. FIFA banned former president Keramuddin Keram for life but did not suspend the federation, despite its anti-discrimination rules and its refusal to recognize the women’s team. Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch said FIFA’s latest move closes a loophole that allowed Taliban-era discrimination to continue in international sport and called it a model for protecting excluded athletes.
Also Read: Amazon AI Tools Transform Hiring and Supply Chains