Afghan women's football resumes in exile; defeat by Cook Islands in first official match
Kabul Times News
The Afghan women's football team, known as the "United Afghan Women", lost 1-0 to the Cook Islands national team in its first official match after years away from international competitions.
The friendly match was held in Auckland, New Zealand, and is the first official appearance of Afghan female players after their departure from the country. Following the political developments of 2021 and restrictions imposed on women's sports, members of the team have left Afghanistan and continued their sports activities in different countries.
Team officials have announced that this match was part of the process of rebuilding and reorganizing Afghan women's football and that the team's official activities are set to continue in the future with the support and cooperation of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
Despite the defeat in this match, the return of Afghan female players to international competitions has been assessed by many sports activists and women's rights advocates as an important step towards preserving the sporting identity of Afghan women.
This comes at a time when women's sports activities in Afghanistan have faced extensive restrictions since the Taliban returned to power, and many athletes, coaches, and members of the women's national teams have been forced to leave the country.
Sports observers believe that the team's continued presence in international competitions could be a new opportunity to maintain the status of Afghan women's football.
Afghan women's football resumes in exile; defeat by Cook Islands in first official match
