Afghan women's national team footballers in exile have been given the opportunity to return to international football following FIFA's decision to change the rules and allow them to play official matches. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
Details
The decision is a continuation of the initiative to create a unified women's team for players who were forced to leave the country after the Taliban came to power in 2021.
The players, most of whom currently reside in Australia, called it a historic chance to return to the international stage.
"Tears of joy, because we never stopped representing Afghanistan in our hearts,"
New Opportunities
The team is already undergoing selection camps organized by FIFA in England and Australia. Although participation in the World Cup is not possible in the near future, the footballers may qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The players hope that this will be the beginning of a full-scale return for Afghan women's football.
Forced Exile
After the return of the Taliban, women's sports in Afghanistan effectively ceased to exist, and women lost access to many spheres of life.
Many female athletes had to leave the country urgently. According to Yousufi, the evacuation was dangerous, and after fleeing, they were forced to hide their identities for safety reasons.
Despite this, the team continues to train and dreams of participating in major international tournaments.