Afghan Women return to an international stage
After being banned from sport in their home country, the Afghan women’s refugee football team — now called Afghan Women United — made their highly-anticipated return to the international stage in the FIFA Unites: Women’s Series 2025 tournament in Morocco, marking a powerful milestone in their fight for the right to play.¨
- A team of Afghan refugee women footballers, called Afghan Women United, made their first international appearance since 2021 in a four-team tournament organised by FIFA in Morocco.
- The tournament is part of the “FIFA Unites: Women’s Series 2025” initiative, featuring teams from Chad, Tunisia, Libya and the Afghan refugee side.
- Afghan Women United scored the opening goal of their match (via a penalty by Manozh Noori) but ultimately lost 6-1 to Chad in Berrechid, near Casablanca.
- The significance of the appearance goes beyond the result: the players were forced into exile after the Taliban banned women’s sport in Afghanistan in 2021, and this event symbolises their fight for representation and equal opportunity.
- The team still cannot compete under the official Afghanistan national team banner in World Cup or qualifying competitions, due to restrictions under current FIFA statutes and the situation in their home country.
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