MELBOURNE, Australia -- Khalida Popal and a handful of members of the Afghanistan Women's Team (AWT) she helped found 16 years ago arrived at Federation Square just in time to watch the kickoff of Australia's opening game of the Women's World Cup last Thursday.
Surrounded by thousands who had braved the cold to gather in support of the Matildas, who were playing in Sydney in front of a record 75,784 fans, it was a moment emblematic of how the players had seen their lives change since they fled the Taliban's takeover of their homeland in August 2021. Once, they had fled for their lives simply because they played football. Now, a nation in which they'd found sanctuary was uniting around a women's team, and its member's faces and names were emblazoned and celebrated across posters, billboards and murals all around them.
But as the eyes of the world descend upon Australia and New Zealand for the Women's World Cup, and various declarations of progress, defining moments, and the power of football to act as an agent of change are made, the AWT also has a request for the global footballing family: Don't forget about them.
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Two years on from their escape, the AWT wants to be like the Matildas. Not because they expect they'll be able to play in World Cups in front of record crowds, mind, or that they'll become the face of various advertising campaigns. They just want to officially represent their nation again. They want to experience those emotions and pride again, acting as champions of not only the women who have escaped the Taliban, but also those who still suffer under their oppression.
"The world of football -- especially women's football -- they're tired of fluffy words," Popal told ESPN. "We don't want words. We want action. If you're talking about gender equality, human rights and standing for players' rights -- the Afghanistan national team is right here.
"Their dreams are not different to any dream of any footballer around the world. They are footballers. They have equally dreamed and they have equally put effort. And even more than that.
"The women in Afghanistan risked their lives to use football as an opportunity and to inspire others to show the beauty and positive side of football, what football can bring to communities and societies. That is being ignored. When you go to these FIFA conferences and events, when these leaders are standing and talking about how sport can bring social change, they cannot talk these words and not see the Afghan women."
Last Tuesday, the AWT, in partnership with A-Leagues club Melbourne Victory, staged the inaugural Hope Cup in north Melbourne. The goal was simple: Draw attention to their efforts to return to the international stage and call on FIFA to recognise/sanction a process that would enable a team drawn from the diaspora around the world to assemble and compete in FIFA-sanctioned matches independently of the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF), which now operates under the shadow of the Taliban. Even if there was an impetus from the federation to field a women's team, attempting to reintegrate under these circumstances, according to Popal, especially if meant returning to Afghanistan, would place the team in mortal danger.
"Soon it will be two years since the team was evacuated," Popal said. "This team, a few weeks before the collapse of Afghanistan, represented Afghanistan in a FIFA international game in Tajikistan. This is this exact team, but they have lost the title just because they are not in Afghanistan and they are refugees.
"What we want is for FIFA to stand together with them and allow these women to represent Afghanistan. All the sacrifices of these women shouldn't be just for nothing."
For the members of the AWT, football represents an act of solidarity and resistance. Not only is it a defiant demonstration of autonomy and agency that the Taliban would take from them, but it also sends a message to those women living under the rule of their power and potential.
Days after the Hope Cup they were back in action in Victoria's state leagues, beating Melbourne University 4-0 on one of the sodden community grounds at Princes Park to keep the pressure on Manningham United Blues atop the Women's State League 3 East standings.
As the #FIFAWWC commences, the @AfghanWnt are also in action, far away from the bright lights of the footballing showcase, as they continue their season in Victoria's local leagues and call for their ability to officially represent Afghanistan again.
— Joey Lynch (@joeylynchy) July 23, 2023
They lead Melbourne Uni 1-0. pic.twitter.com/2qGkzp6PHB
This season will be the second year they have spent in Victoria's state league; matchdays and training sessions, supported by Victory, are an opportunity to continue to hone their talents as they advocate a return to international play. It also serves as a respite and a chance to stay connected, even engaging in peer support -- many have family members who have fled to countries such as Pakistan and are now waiting for asylum claims to be processed by the Australian Government.
"Whatever we do today, and what we have been doing in the past two years, is for the women and the girls in Afghanistan," forward Nilab told ESPN after the Hope Cup. "To encourage them and to show them that we will never give up, and we will be their voice, as long as we are on the field."
Women's sport in Afghanistan remains suppressed by the Taliban, and a UN report last month found that the human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan have been systematically restricted to the extent that the repression "may amount to gender persecution -- a crime against humanity -- and be characterised as gender apartheid."
"The situation of women's rights in Afghanistan is dire, it's a bleak situation," Wahidullah Waissi, who serves as an ambassador to Australia in exile after the Taliban's takeover, told ESPN. "Women are lacking their basic rights to practice in their daily life. The first thing which happened [when the Taliban took over] was the repression of girls and women.
"[The AWT's] resistance doesn't mean fighting with weapons. This is a resistance of values, resistance against what is happening inside Afghanistan. The courage that they are showing at the moment in exile, they continue the fight for their rights."
Approached for comment by ESPN, FIFA said it was unable to overrule the AFF to recognise an independent women's team. "FIFA has been closely following the situation of the Afghan football community within the country and abroad, especially the situation of female players," a spokesperson told ESPN. "The selection of players and teams representing a member association is considered as an internal affair of the member association. Therefore, FIFA does not have the right to officially recognise any team unless it is first recognised by the concerned member association.
"However, ensuring access to football for both female and male players without discrimination and in safety is a key priority for FIFA. FIFA is therefore continuing to monitor the situation very closely and remains in close contact with the Afghan Football Federation and other stakeholders with the aim to promote access to football in Afghanistan.
"FIFA has also been supporting the evacuation of over 150 Afghan sports persons and human rights defenders at risk in November 2021 and continues its support for this group."
After sending representatives to the Hope Cup, meanwhile, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told ESPN that it supported the AWT's attempts to return to international play. With the backing of the Australian Government, the team will fly to Brisbane this week to meet with government officials, as well as attend the Matildas' Women's World Cup game with Nigeria.
"The Australian Government supports the Afghan women's team's endeavours to compete internationally and reiterates its commitment to harnessing the power of sport to promote gender equality," a spokesperson said.
"Australia is committed to standing by the women and girls of Afghanistan and is working closely with international partners to push back against the Taliban's repressive edicts. The Taliban has steadily eroded the rights of women and girls, including the right to play sports.
"Australia has consistently condemned the Taliban's actions and calls on the Taliban to afford fair and equal treatment to women and girls."
On Tuesday, the inaugural Hope Cup took place between the @AfghanWnt and Football Empowerment to highlight the hope of Afghan women footballers to have their right to compete internationally once again. pic.twitter.com/rUpZHHGVKf
— Melbourne Victory (@gomvfc) July 20, 2023
But for now, the AWT is still waiting for a chance, hoping that as the world gets caught up in World Cup fever, it also can find the time to allow them to pay for their country again.
"We want to play for all girls back in Afghanistan," Manozh said. "They have rights. When we play for Afghanistan maybe they say 'I wish I could be Manozh or Mursal or Fatima' because we are playing and everyone sees us and they say they are from Afghanistan.
"These girls watching in Afghanistan, they should be proud and they want to play as well.
"My message to people is please follow up with this message -- for all Afghan girls who want to play soccer and please give us a chance to play in a different country with the name of Afghanistan."