Introduction to the Afghanistan Women’s National Football Team
The Afghanistan women’s national football team will play its first official game since 2021 in Morocco. This comes after a frustrating false start, with the team initially denied entry visas to the United Arab Emirates, where the tournament was originally scheduled to take place.
The Tournament
On Monday, three days before the start of the “FIFA Unites: Women’s Series”, world football governing body FIFA announced that Morocco would be the new host. The tournament was removed from the United Arab Emirates after the Afghan players were denied entry visas. The games were originally scheduled for October 23rd and will now begin on October 26th, giving players, coaches, and organizers a tight time frame to travel, acclimatize, and train before the games.
Teams and Schedule
Chad and Libya will form the second and third teams in the four-team round-robin tournament, but with the UAE now removed from the entry list, the fourth team has yet to be announced, as has the fixture list. FIFA would like to thank the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FMRF) and looks forward to working together to host a successful tournament.
Hosting the Tournament
The North African country is currently hosting the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, which ends on November 8, meaning it overlaps with the newly postponed tournament. Morocco will also host matches in the 2030 Men’s World Cup and has hosted the last three women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
The Afghan Team
Although a team of Afghan refugees plays in Australia’s regional leagues, their first game in Morocco will be the first time the team has played together since the return of the Taliban forced the team into exile in 2021. Defender Najma Arefi told DW earlier this month, "It’s not just about wearing the Afghan team jersey. It’s also about representing so many of the Afghan women who have been silenced and have no voice to share with the world. They have been denied every single human right."
New Name for the Afghan Team
FIFA decided in May to welcome the women of Afghanistan back through its “Afghan Women’s Football Action Strategy,” emphasizing in its statement its “ongoing commitment” to the development of the team and the sport. To mark the delayed occasion, the Afghan team will be renamed and will henceforth be called Afghan Women United. According to a statement on Monday, the name replacing “Afghan Women’s Refugee Team” was chosen by the players in collaboration with FIFA.
