{"id":2164,"date":"2026-08-06T08:00:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T08:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2164"},"modified":"2026-08-06T08:00:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T08:00:10","slug":"banned-from-football-at-home-afghan-womens-team-reunite-8000-miles-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2164","title":{"rendered":"Banned from football at home, Afghan women&#8217;s team reunite 8,000 miles away"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div data-block=\"headline\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\"><\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pflr6j-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Five women in red football kit stand in a line. The one in the middle is holding her arms above her head and her hands form the shape of a heart. \" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1920\/cpsprodpb\/cfe4\/live\/164aada0-8f29-11f1-b8ee-9b3c26ad07bb.jpg\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>Phil Walter\/Getty Images<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The Afghan women&#8217;s football team gathered for the first time since Fifa ruled they could represent their country in official matches<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"byline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"single-byline\" class=\"ssrcss-sevsa1-ContributorContainer ee66fvo3\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-dt4z-ContributorInfo ee66fvo0\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">By<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-nsjd43-TextContributorName epw3ir01\">Mahjooba Nowrouzi<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-dqo7s5-ContributorDetails ee66fvo2\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1m5444d-Text ee66fvo4\">BBC News Afghan Languages<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-1m5444d-Text ee66fvo4\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Reporting from<\/span>Auckland, New Zealand<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"metadata\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"metadata\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\"><time data-testid=\"timestamp\" datetime=\"2026-08-05T23:28:06.680Z\">8 hours ago<\/time><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">The changing room is busy with footballers going through their pre-match routines. Some stretch and tighten their boots, others embrace.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Be strong as always because we are representing Afghan women,&#8221; says midfielder Fatima Haidari to fellow members of Afghan Women United.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Applause erupts in the room where an Afghan flag hangs and a patriotic song is played. As the women sing along some struggle to hold back tears.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">There&#8217;s a final team huddle with words of encouragement from their coach before they head out to the pitch \u2013 a place that for years they had been told they did not belong.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The 23-player squad, selected from Afghan players now living abroad, has travelled to New Zealand for a training camp and to play two unofficial friendly games against the Cook Islands.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">This is the first time they have been together since football governing body Fifa ruled in April that they could represent their country in official matches in the future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1p188ef-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"About 20 women huddle in a circle in a changing room with their arms around each other. Some wear red football shirts and some have white bibs over their kit with the word Fifa written in dark blue. There is a table in the middle of the circle with a few bottles and some fruit on it.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/749\/cpsprodpb\/915b\/live\/c3ef4cf0-8bfe-11f1-a52a-dba993a97936.jpg\" width=\"749\" height=\"422\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>Afghan Women United<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The team hopes that in the future they will qualify for international competitions, such as the World Cup and the Olympics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Previously, they would have needed the approval of the Afghanistan Football Federation. This was not possible under the Taliban, who returned to power in August 2021, imposing wide-ranging restrictions on women and girls, including barring them from secondary school and university, most professions and organised sport.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The country&#8217;s national women&#8217;s team, formed in 2007, could no longer play and its members were among those evacuated and resettled in countries including Australia, the UK and Portugal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Years of campaigning led to the creation of a refugee team, which became Afghan Women United. Thanks to Fifa&#8217;s ruling, it can now try to qualify for international competitions such as the Olympics and World Cup.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Gathered in New Zealand, the squad is excited to be playing together &#8211; as asylum seekers living in various countries it has been hard for them to get the travel documents in order to train as a team over the past five years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Sitting in the hotel in Auckland the day before the match, Manozh Noori, who has short hair, wears a T-shirt and knee-length shorts &#8211; a look that she says has often drawn criticism from relatives for looking too masculine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">As the 23-year-old speaks to BBC Global Women about her family, her voice begins to falter. She pauses, takes a deep breath and looks away for a moment before continuing. There are no tears, but the emotion is clear.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1szz9nu-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Manozh Noori standing on the edge of a pitch looking at the camera. She has shortish dark hair that is tied back and wears a bright pink vest over her red football kit. In the background there are some kit bags, a few other players and a couple of women sitting in a shelter. The sky is cloudy.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/3840\/cpsprodpb\/6764\/live\/6d81cd40-73c9-11f1-aaa1-3f07d3ad2c35.jpg\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2160.1864801864804\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Manozh Noori buried her medals in her garden before she left Afghanistan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Noori now lives in Australia but she grew up playing football with boys in the streets of Kabul.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">After seeing women&#8217;s football on television, she secretly joined local clubs and gradually rose through the ranks in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She knew her older brother would disapprove so she tried to reduce the risk of being recognised by wearing a face covering.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Over six years, she won league titles, national championships and individual awards.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Eventually her success became impossible to hide. In about 2018 her fellow players persuaded her to remove her face covering for a TV interview, which was shown on the news along with highlights of their match.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Then she had to face the reality that her brother might see it. &#8220;I was so scared,&#8221; she recalls. &#8220;I kept thinking, &#8216;He&#8217;s going to see me. He&#8217;s going to know.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In desperation, she tried to stop the family from watching the news by turning off the electricity, but word soon reached her brother and he was furious, she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;He was screaming,&#8221; Noori says. &#8220;&#8216;You told us you were studying. You said you wanted to become a teacher or a doctor. What is this?'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">He threatened to cut his ties with the family if she didn&#8217;t stop, she adds. &#8220;My mother was crying. She told me, &#8216;He&#8217;s the person who supports us financially. How are we going to survive?'&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pflr6j-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Manozh Noori wearing a face mask to hide her identity while playing a match in Afghanistan\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/720\/cpsprodpb\/d222\/live\/ad39c2f0-6fdf-11f1-b873-31f4412355c8.jpg\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>Manozh Noori<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Noori (in blue) used to wear a face mask to hide her identity when playing in Afghanistan  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Noori did stop playing for a while, but eventually started again. She says her other brother, who lives in Germany, sent money to help finance her dream.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">When the Taliban took over in 2021, Noori decided to flee, but first she buried her football medals and trophies in the garden of her family home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">More than four years later, they remain there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;One day I will go back and dig them out,&#8221; she says, briefly smiling at the thought.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Football helped me get my mum and sister out of Afghanistan,&#8221; she says. Two years after she moved to Australia and established herself as a football player, she was able to bring them over as well.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">This meant her sister was able to study again &#8211; even though her brother didn&#8217;t want them playing sports, he always supported their education.  &#8220;I hope my brother now realises I am not a bad person,&#8221; says Noori.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"eventPromo\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-yapki9-EventInformationContainer e646wox6\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-6vksri-EventTitleContainer e646wox5\"><strong>Afghan Reunited: The fight for football<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-vf62z0-EventDetailsContainer e646wox4\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">BBC Global Women follows Afghan female footballers as they return to the pitch<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-e4s26j-CallToActionContainer e646wox3\"><a href=\"\/iplayer\/episodes\/m0030fq5\" class=\"ssrcss-1lwi6f5-CallToActionLink esxl4sy1\"><span data-testid=\"service-identifiers:iplayer\" class=\"ssrcss-1eah56t-IconWrapper esxl4sy0\"><\/span><span class=\"call-to-action-link-text-wrapper\">Watch on iPlayer<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1x0wki1-AdditionalLinksContainer e646wox1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/boNWXBqAtOI\" class=\"ssrcss-914o8t-AdditionalLink e646wox0\">Viewers outside the UK can watch on YouTube<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">As she and the team prepare for the matches in Auckland, many of them describe football as the reason they survived one of the most turbulent periods in their country&#8217;s recent history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;If I wasn&#8217;t a footballer, I would still be in Afghanistan, one of millions of girls who are not allowed to study, speak up or choose their own future,&#8221; says Mursal Sadat, who also lives in Australia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Now 24, she works as a football coach, youth facilitator and advocate for refugees, women&#8217;s rights and human rights.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1wacekw-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Afghan Women United players\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/3840\/cpsprodpb\/4175\/live\/54572560-6fe4-11f1-a9c4-37da5d161ee0.jpg\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2160.7192807192805\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Mursal Sadat (kneeling right) was 19 when the Taliban returned to power &#8211; she was among those evacuated from Kabul in August 2021 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In Afghanistan, she says she was often judged, harassed and told that no-one would want to marry a woman who played sport.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Today she is engaged to a man who is still in Afghanistan, and says he and his family are supportive of her work and place on the national team. &#8220;They tell me, &#8216;You are the pride of our family. We are so lucky to have you.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">As the players step out into the driving Auckland rain to face the Cook Islands, they channel their energy and determination, unfazed by the weather. They have faced much tougher conditions back home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">As a teenager, defender Najma Arefi trained in temperatures above 45C (113F) because girls were often given the least desirable training slots.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Still, she persisted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The 22-year-old&#8217;s efforts eventually helped a Herat-based team win a national championship.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The victory, she says, changed attitudes towards women&#8217;s sport in the city.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;There were billboards of us across Herat,&#8221; she recalls. &#8220;People were proud. More families started letting their daughters play football.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She now lives in Doncaster in northern England. She arrived in the UK after the Taliban takeover.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She describes herself as an extrovert and says she now has opportunities she never imagined growing up in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-igpmg3-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Action shot of a woman about to kick a football. She is wearing a red shirt with the number 14 on it in white. She has black shorts, red socks and white boots. Her long dark hair is tied in a ponytail. \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1920\/cpsprodpb\/b09a\/live\/913af520-8f28-11f1-b8ee-9b3c26ad07bb.jpg\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1206\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>Phil Walter\/Getty Images<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Najma Arefi, pictured during one of the matches against the Cook Islands, moved to the UK after the Taliban returned to power<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She studies criminal justice at college, plays football and makes decisions independently. &#8220;Having that freedom is incredible,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Yet she admits she often feels guilty and desperately sad about the freedoms denied to women back home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Millions of girls don&#8217;t have the chance to study or follow their dreams. I feel I have to make the most of every opportunity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Sometimes I put too much pressure on myself,&#8221; she says, tears rolling down her face.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">She thanks Khalida Popal, who founded the original Afghan women&#8217;s team, for pushing Fifa to recognise them now they are in exile.  &#8220;To receive Fifa&#8217;s recognition without the approval of the Taliban&#8221; has made history, she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">This official status is &#8220;something I&#8217;ll always be proud of&#8221;, she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">When the BBC asked the Taliban&#8217;s director for sports, Ahmadullah Wasiq, about Fifa backing the women&#8217;s team, he declined to comment. But he said he would like Fifa to visit the country and resume its support for football there in general &#8211; the organisation largely withdrew after the Taliban came to power. Fifa has previously said any resumption of support would depend on women being allowed to play.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The game in Auckland turns out to be unforgiving. A single goal in the first match hands the Cook Islands a 1-0 victory. Three days later, despite the Afghan team&#8217;s best efforts, the Cook Islands win again, this time 3-0.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Yet for the players, these matches represent something far more significant than two defeats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">A return to the pitch and proof that despite exile, separation from their families and years of uncertainty, Afghanistan&#8217;s women footballers refused to disappear.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1obxpl-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Graphic with Global Women written in white on a purple background, with blueish-purple arcs taken from concentrically arranged circles on the right.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/0a7c\/live\/e036dea0-c624-11f0-a892-01d657345866.png\" width=\"1024\" height=\"169\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-2st5ed-ListContainer e5tfeyi0\">\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><i class=\"ssrcss-xbdn93-ItalicText e5tfeyi2\">This is part of the Global Women series from the BBC World Service, sharing untold and important stories from around the globe<\/i><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"topicList\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-tcr9z1-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"topic-list\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nj9heb-StyledTagContainer ed0g1kj1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1pfbb52-TopicListHeaderWrapper etw6iwl0\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">Related topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17ehax8-Cluster e1ihwmse1\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-w8zanw-ClusterItems e1ihwmse0\">\n<li><a href=\"\/news\/topics\/c8nq32jw5r5t\" class=\"ssrcss-1ypd9i8-StyledLink ed0g1kj0\">Afghanistan<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/news\/topics\/cjnwl8q4gxwt\" class=\"ssrcss-1ypd9i8-StyledLink ed0g1kj0\">Women&#8217;s rights<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/news\/topics\/c97e668pdnwt\" class=\"ssrcss-1ypd9i8-StyledLink ed0g1kj0\">Women&#8217;s rights in Afghanistan<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Image source, Phil Walter\/Getty ImagesImage caption, The Afghan women&#8217;s football team gathered for the first time since Fifa ruled they could represent their country in official matches ByMahjooba Nowrouzi BBC News Afghan Languages,\u00a0Reporting fromAuckland, New Zealand Published 8 hours ago The changing room is busy with footballers going through their pre-match routines. Some stretch and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Banned from football at home, Afghan women&#039;s team reunite 8,000 miles away - Asia Newscast<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2164\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Banned from football at home, Afghan women&#039;s team reunite 8,000 miles away - Asia Newscast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Image source, Phil Walter\/Getty ImagesImage caption, The Afghan women&#8217;s football team gathered for the first time since Fifa ruled they could represent their country in official matches ByMahjooba Nowrouzi BBC News Afghan Languages,\u00a0Reporting fromAuckland, New Zealand Published 8 hours ago The changing room is busy with footballers going through their pre-match routines. 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