Taken out of its context, it seemed like a normal moment. A player is falling on the ground. Referee’s whistle. A penalty was awarded. Early lead.
But when Manoj Noori raised his fist skyward to celebrate his first international goal in his first international game, it took on greater significance for him and his teammates.
“It was a happy moment for everyone,” Nouri told DW after the match.
“All my teammates came to me and hugged me. It was a great moment for all of us. I dedicate this goal to all the people of Afghanistan, because they deserve happiness.”
It has taken a long time to make it. The Afghanistan women’s football team last played an international match in 2021, before the Taliban returned to power in the country that same year. According to the United Nations, the Islamic fundamentalist nationalist movement has consistently repressed women since gaining power and is “closer than ever to achieving its vision of a society that completely erases women from public life.”
At the end of October all the players on the field were forced to flee due to playing the game in public with a target firmly on their backs. More than half the crew eventually found a home in Australia, while others settled in various European countries.
Dream a Distant, But Achievable Dream
Since they were deported, regaining their status as international football players – which means gaining recognition from FIFA, the game’s global governors – has been a matter of concern for many. Although he is inspired by playing at the top level, his deeper motivation always remains in mind.
“Girls in Afghanistan don’t have any rights right now. Playing sports is probably a distant dream, but studying and getting an education is a very ordinary dream and they don’t have that,” goalkeeper Fatima Yousufi told DW.
“To do this for all those girls is the biggest inspiration for us. We’re showing them that their dreams are valid.”
Those thoughts and memories about their homeland were imprinted on the players’ faces as they watched their flag being raised and listened to their national anthem before kick-off against Chad, which ultimately led to a 6-1 win on Sunday, with tears welling up in their eyes.
While FIFA began the process of recognizing the team in May this year, they currently play as Afghan Women United, a name chosen in conjunction with the players replacing their old status as the Afghanistan Women’s Refugee Team. By the way, the tournament they are playing in includes friendly matches, also involving Libya and Tunisia. Afghanistan’s men’s team continues to compete on the global stage under Taliban control.
Yousufi was one of those who played in the team’s last match as Afghanistan – before the Taliban took back control following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. Since then women’s football has progressed rapidly, with increased professionalisation, faster ticket sales in many countries and increased media interest.
Afghanistan has a lot to do
As players are spread out across the globe and also have to focus on building new lives in unfamiliar countries, Afghanistan has a lot to do. The process was not helped by delays and a last-minute change in the venue of the tournament after visas for Afghan players were rejected by the United Arab Emirates, which had initially agreed to host and play in it. There has been no official statement yet about the reason for that rejection, but the UAE has strong diplomatic ties with the Taliban.
Pauline Hamill, the team’s Scottish coach, said, “When you haven’t played international football for four years, it’s very difficult to understand what the level is, because even in that time the game has changed so much.”
“I think you can see there’s a lot of potential there. I think it was a case of ‘Welcome to international football’. [in the first game]And now, how do we improve moving forward? I think that’s the main message.”
FIFA has promised continued support
After another defeat to Tunisia, the Afghan side showed improvement with a 7–0 win over Libya and ended the tournament on a high note. But after four years of fighting so hard to be heard and recognized, Afghan players see this as only a first step on the way back to the game being the way it was before their lives were upended.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrived at the team’s second match, posed for photographs and declared the tournament the beginning of a “beautiful, beautiful story”. She promised to “continue to stand with all Afghan women” and “work tirelessly to ensure that each of them gets the support they deserve to play the game they deserve.”
But what will happen next is not yet clear. Due to the government’s reluctance to support them, competitive events are currently impossible and none have been arranged until the year ends.
Although they are still unable to represent their country the way they would like, this group of exiled women has shown their resilience time and again. As Youssi says, complete with Australian accent: “Girls, never give up on your dreams.”
Edited by: Chuck Penfold. This article is part of DW Sports’ Best of 2025 series in which we revisit some of our standout features from last year. The article has been updated to reflect the later stages of the FIFA Unites tournament.