Afghan players watch Morocco’s team practice for Women’s World Cup, hoping to get their chance

20.07.2023 - 00:57 arabnews.com

MELBOURNE: Over the next month, 32 national soccer teams will compete across Australia and New Zealand in the Women’s World Cup.

A 33rd team — unofficial, by FIFA’s standards — will also be in Australia, but in the stands. Members of the Afghanistan national women’s soccer team, which was evacuated to Australia when the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, paid a visit to Morocco’s public training session Wednesday.

The eight players attended with a small crowd of enthusiastic Morocco supporters who were bearing red and green flags and scarves.

Morocco, making its Women’s World Cup debut, is the first Arab nation to qualify for the tournament. Like Afghanistan, the North African nation has a large Muslim population.

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