The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has recently announced that the Afghanistan women’s refugee football team will take the field for the first time in an international tournament in the United Arab Emirates.
According to FIFA’s statement, the team will participate in a four-team friendly competition in Dubai, held under the title “FIFA Unites: Women’s Series” from October 23 to 29.
The announcement stated that the Afghan women’s refugee team is scheduled to play against the national women’s teams of the UAE, Chad, and Libya.
It should be noted that after 2021, when the caretaker government banned women’s sports, many female players were forced to flee the country to save their lives. Most members of Afghanistan’s national women’s team now live in Australia and other countries.
In recent years, FIFA has organized several talent-scouting camps in different countries, which led to the formation of a 23-player squad for the Afghan women’s refugee team.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized: “Ensuring access to football for all women is one of FIFA’s priorities and an essential part of the future of this sport. These games are not just competitions; they represent symbols of hope and progress for women around the world.”
FIFA further added that all matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on the organization’s online platform.
It is worth mentioning that while men’s football in Afghanistan continues as usual, this tournament marks the first official return of Afghan women to the football field.
