Afghan women's refugee team return to international football amid calls for more autonomy

Thirteen Australian-based players have been selected to represent the Afghan women’s refugee team, as they prepare to play international football for the first time in four years.

But while this milestone is widely celebrated, it's still tinged with a dark reality for women in the country, who are banned from playing sport, secondary and higher education, and prohibited from speaking or showing their faces in public.

"What we want to do is to be the voice for the women of Afghanistan right now in the Western world," co-founder of the women's national team Khalida Popal told ABC Sport.

Football the tool for activism

The FIFA-backed refugee team, made up of displaced players from around the world, will play in a round-robin friendly tournament with Chad, Libya, and the UAE in Dubai at the end of the month.

The team has been in exile since the Taliban takeover in 2021, with most re-settling in Australia, and continuing to play in Victoria's lower divisions with the help of Melbourne Victory.

The final 23-player squad was selected after camps in Sydney and England, and also includes players living in the UK, Portugal, and Italy.

Popal now lives in Denmark and runs the organisation Girl Power, while still working with the women's national team, and she consulted with FIFA during the process to establish the refugee team.

She knows football is the most effective tool to keep her countrywomen's plight on the radar.

"As much as we are grateful and happy about the support that our players are receiving, this is not the end for us," she said.

"Our foundation was built on activism, on being the voice for our voiceless sisters and [to] use that platform to fight for gender equality and human rights for our women.

"For the women of our country, this platform is taken away from us.

"Right now we are happy that this Afghan refugee women team is giving our players the platform to continue their advocacy."

In a FIFA statement, Australian-based defender Kereshma Abasi said this would be a new beginning.

"It is not just about football; it is about inspiring others and proving that with hard work and resilience, anything is possible," she said.

FIFA has overseen and funded the implementation of the current refugee team, with more than 20 staff members working on the project in a pilot phase.

But it's unclear what will happen beyond the tournament in Dubai, with FIFA yet to reveal any details around the project's future.

While the Afghan men still compete internationally, without the backing of the Afghan Football Federation (AFF), the women's refugee team can only play in friendlies, not official games like Asian Cup or World Cup qualifiers.

Popal says an independent governing body should be established to give them full autonomy over the running of the team, without needing the support of FIFA or the AFF.

"It's not a FIFA project, it's not a one club project, it's the Afghan women's football team," she said.

"We are grateful that FIFA is really committed [to] supporting [us]. But it needs to have independence, and the voices of women should not be filtered, should not be controlled."

Independent MP Zali Steggall says leaders here must be vocal in supporting the players and wants the team to be showcased during March's Women's Asian Cup being held in Australia.

"If we are to host events, that is an opportunity to platform where female athletes are being discriminated against," she told ABC Sport.

She says some organisations are too concerned with offending FIFA.

"But these are opportunities to raise [the fact] that Afghanistan is withholding basic human rights to half the population," she said.

Bigger than football

As advocates continue to push for that greater recognition, former Scotland international Pauline Hamill is focused on the immediate future and guiding one of the most unique teams in international women's football.

She was appointed the head coach of the Afghan women's refugee team in July.

"I was really drawn to the role from the very beginning," she told ABC Sport.

Hamill said she liked how "impactful the program can be", including the opportunity to support a "really special and unique group of people".

"It's about the skills that you all have as a group to help the players be in the best possible environment, to enjoy the experience and to know that football's a part of it," she said.

"But we know it's much, much bigger than that."

FIFA's project is also looking at broader support for players in exile by connecting them with existing playing, coaching, and refereeing pathways, and finding ways to assist those remaining in Afghanistan.

"They are not part of it, and they cannot practise what they love to do, but at the same time, women in Afghanistan keep calling on us … to be their voice," Popal said.

Popal is eager to keep working with FIFA on the next steps, but the unknown is challenging.

"It's a quite emotional situation for (the current players). They are very happy with all the experiences that they have, great coaches, experts," she said.

"But what about next?"

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