FIFA's recognition of Afghanistan women's soccer team doesn't go far enough

Mother's Day was celebrated by Canadian soccer through a variety of events and activities at NSL matches this weekend. Not only recognizing the impact that women make on the pitch but off it and in wider society. It was also a nod to all women working in soccer and the ways in which we belong.

Calgary Wild's Sonia O'Neil had a tiny locker setup for her daughter beside hers in their locker room at the home opener. 

I attended the AFC Toronto versus Vancouver Rise match in Toronto and even took my daughter (with permission of the club) because it was Mother's Day. It was not the first time one of my children has been beside me while I'm working, but to be covering a professional women's match and have her there was amazing. 

The league offering this kind of support sets an important precedent. In a previous interview with NSL president Christina Litz, she told me that this league embraces babies or pets at meetings. They understand and appreciate the many roles that women might have. 

The inclusion of women in global soccer should not be a polarizing or divisive issue. But O'Neill's Calgary Wild teammate, Farkhunda Muhtaj, has a different experience. 

Muhtaj, the Wild's first signing, is also the captain of the Afghanistan senior women's national team. When the Taliban took over in 2021, all activity stopped. With control of the Afghanistan Football Federation, the Taliban banned girls and women from sports. The situation was dire. Muhtaj helped evacuate more than 80 people, including members of the junior national squad. Since then, Muhtaj has been engaged in many conversations focused on how to safely and sustainably restart the national program. 

Khalida Popal, the team's founder, fled Afghanistan in 2011. Since then