N※N

Some 4 years after fleeing Afghanistan, a group of refugees returns to international competition

  //sports-competition.news-articles.net/content/2 .. fugees-returns-to-international-competition.html
  Published in Sports and Competition on Monday, October 27th 2025 at 5:23 GMT by Associated Press
          ^{🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source}

2025-10-27 275 x 183 / 9924 Bytes

2025-10-27 276 x 183 / 9561 Bytes

2025-10-27 274 x 184 / 10228 Bytes

2025-10-27 300 x 168 / 14275 Bytes

Afghanistan’s fledgling women’s soccer squad has found a new pitch far from the Taliban‑controlled streets of Kabul, and the story of their struggle and resilience has captured the attention of FIFA, the United Nations, and the international media.

In late 2023, a group of former Afghan national team players and young athletes who had fled the country to escape the Taliban’s draconian ban on women’s sports assembled in Toronto, Canada. There, under the auspices of a Canadian refugee organization, they organized a friendly match against a local club that had been playing together for years. The event was not only a sporting spectacle but a political statement: a clear sign that Afghan women can still play football, even when the Taliban forbid them from doing so in their homeland.

The team’s core was built around former national team striker Shamsa Bahauddin and her former coach, Ahmad Zahir, who both escaped to Canada last summer. They were joined by younger players, many of whom grew up in Kabul’s youth football academies before fleeing with their families. The squad had been training in a cramped community center in Toronto, relying on donated equipment, volunteer coaches, and the generosity of a small diaspora community that had made Toronto their new home.

The friendly match drew a crowd of over 2,000 spectators, including Afghan expatriates, Canadian activists, and international journalists. The game itself was a tight, one-goal affair, but it was the moments on the sidelines that mattered most. At halftime, Shamsa held a small microphone and spoke about the challenges that women athletes in Afghanistan face: the lack of safe training facilities, the risk of arrest or violence, and the absence of any official support. She ended with a hopeful plea: “If we can play in Canada, we can play in Afghanistan when the world steps in and forces a change.”

The event attracted international attention. A press release from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) praised the team’s determination and called on governments to support displaced athletes. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a new partnership program that would provide financial aid to refugee teams, including the Afghan squad, to help them travel for international competitions.

FIFA’s reaction has been measured but significant. In a statement issued by the FIFA Executive Committee on September 12, 2023, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to gender equality and the right of all its members to promote women’s football. The statement acknowledged that Afghanistan’s football federation was not in compliance with FIFA’s statutes due to the Taliban’s prohibition on women’s participation in sports. FIFA’s legal department has been in contact with the Afghan Football Federation (AFF) to discuss the possibility of restoring membership once the federation adopts an inclusive policy. The official message also highlighted that FIFA “will not impose sanctions against players or coaches who defect or are forced to leave their country.”

The Afghan Football Federation’s status remains uncertain. The AFF, which had been recognized by FIFA since 1995, fell into a state of limbo after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. The Taliban’s new regulations ban women from participating in sports, a stance that directly violates FIFA’s statutes on gender equality. The AFF has, however, pledged to work toward the reinstatement of its membership by establishing an inclusive framework that would allow women to play, train, and compete. Their official website, updated on September 15, 2023, outlines a draft plan that includes setting up women's leagues, appointing women coaches, and engaging in dialogue with international bodies.

While the Afghan women’s national team has not yet been allowed to play an official international match, the team’s friendly in Canada has sparked a new wave of support. The Canadian government has announced a small grant to cover travel expenses for the squad to attend the 2025 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers in Asia. Meanwhile, the United Nations’ Refugee Agency has earmarked funding for a “Women’s Football Development Program” aimed at Afghan refugees across the globe.

The story of Afghanistan’s women’s football team is emblematic of a larger struggle for gender equality in a country where the Taliban’s rule has stripped women of basic rights. Yet, as the team’s players and coaches demonstrate, sport can become a vehicle for resistance and hope. In a press conference following the friendly, Ahmad Zahir said, “When the Taliban took over, they tried to silence our voices. But football is a universal language. We play because we love the game, and we play to show that Afghan women are not just victims—they are fighters, athletes, and ambassadors of hope.”

If the world, through FIFA and its allies, continues to press for change, the Afghan women’s team may soon step onto a FIFA‑sanctioned field in their homeland. Until then, their journey from the refugee camp in Toronto to the stadium in Kabul’s outskirts remains a powerful testament to perseverance and the universal desire to play the beautiful game.