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

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.

The exiled Afghan players, now based in Melbourne, hope that the Atlas Lionesses’ participation in the tournament will help further build the case that Muslim women belong in the sport.

“This is a huge chance for the Moroccan team to show the world that Muslim women in every single country can participate,” said Afghan player Farida, who wanted to use one name.

The Taliban barred women from participating in sports in Afghanistan, leading to the evacuation of many female athletes for their safety. Flying halfway around the world, the soccer team disappeared from the FIFA world rankings, since the Afghan government no longer sanctions the team. The players have called on FIFA to recognize their team so that they can compete internationally.

“What motivates us is that we are the voice for the women back home,” Afghan player Mursal Sadat said. “We are a mirror that reflects how hard their lives are and how it is hard for them to live in Afghanistan, to have no rights, to be banned from everything.

“We