Latest news with #KhalidaPopal
CBC
26-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Former Afghan women's soccer captain fights for team's chance to compete in World Cup
Khalida Popal, the former captain of Afghanistan's national women's football team, is making a call to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to allow Afghan women to participate in the 2027 Women's World Cup. "It has been more than three years that I've been sending emails with the support of different organizations, to get [a] response from FIFA, to get FIFA on board, to collaborate with us," Popal told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. Football's world governing body requires the Afghanistan women's national football team to receive recognition from the Taliban controlled Afghanistan Football Federation in order to participate. But under the Taliban's oppressive regime, this is not possible, says Popal, who founded the team and now acts as its program and event director. If FIFA does not revise its regulations, the team will miss out on the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers draw, happening March 27, which feeds into qualification for the upcoming World Cup. It'll mark the second time they've missed the opportunity to join the World Cup qualifying cycle since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. Following advocacy by players and allies, FIFA did send a letter on March 21 to the Sports & Rights Alliance, a human rights coalition that has been advocating for the team's recognition. Popal says she draws some hope from FIFA's letter because it mentioned developing a plan to offer football opportunities for Afghan women both inside and outside the country. But it did not specify whether FIFA intends to officially recognize the team or how the funding would be distributed. Another barrier they're facing for the women's team to play in the Asian Cup Qualifiers, is FIFA's concern that the games are played in countries that are not safe for Afghan women, says Popal. Popal, who stopped playing in 2011 to focus on coordinating the team as a director at the Afghanistan Football Association, says she hopes they can still qualify for the World Cup through a wild card that will give them exceptional access. Exiled from Afghanistan After Afghanistan was seized by the Taliban, the regime imposed decrees that severely restricted the rights of women and girls. Girls over the age of 12 have been banned from receiving an education, and women are prohibited from participating in any sports. Popal was forced to seek asylum in Denmark in 2016 after receiving threats to her life, and she also assisted dozens of others in escaping. WATCH / Khalida Popal on the implications of Taliban's take-over: 'I feel sad for my people': former captain of Afghanistan's women's soccer team 4 years ago Duration 6:42 The former captain of Afghanistan's national soccer team, Khalida Popal, says she feels sad for her people who will experience 'another dark period of Taliban.' She urges the international community to speak up and not let the women of Afghanistan feel abandoned by the world. She says there are now hundreds of Afghan women football players of all ages who are dispersed around the world after escaping persecution. Even as they work to rebuild their lives in exile abroad, Popal says they remain ready and eager for the opportunity to represent Afghanistan on the international stage. More than football Popal says having Afghan women compete in FIFA is about more than just asserting their right to play football. It's a way for Afghan women to ensure the plights they're facing are not forgotten by the world. "For us, football is our tool. It's our power," said Popal. She says it gives them the platform to share how the Tablian is "erasing women from the society." As well, if they are able to play on the world stage, it will send a message of hope for Afghan women in Afghanistan. "You are not forgotten. You are seen and you are heard," Popal said. That motivates Popal to continue her advocacy.
The Guardian
25-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Fifa to recognise Afghanistan women's team – but too late for next World Cup
Fifa has cleared the way for the exiled Afghanistan women's national team to represent the country but has been criticised for moving too slowly, four years after players fled the country when the Taliban returned to power. Football's global governing body said it was committed to supporting players outside Afghanistan and would organise training camps, provide staff (including qualified coaches and technical and medical staff) and coordinate friendly matches. The pledges were made in a letter to the Sport & Rights Alliance (SRA), which has been pressing for the exiled team to be recognised. The Afghanistan women's side last played an official game in 2018. Current and former players welcomed Fifa's steps but expressed frustration at the pace of change. Fifa's move comes too late for potential participation at the 2027 Women's World Cup because the team will not be in the draw on Thursday for the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifiers. That tournament determines qualification for the World Cup and Olympic Games. 'Players want to play for their country, they want to represent the women of Afghanistan and they want to be a voice for those who are on a voiceless journey,' the national team player Mursal Sadat said. 'The Taliban took that platform from us. Not only us: it's worth mentioning that it's the fourth educational year that women are not allowed to go to school. How can we expect the Taliban to negotiate about sports if they're not even allowing education for women? They would never negotiate. They are traumatised by women, they don't like women, they are afraid of women's rights and women's voices and what they can do. 'Unfortunately, Fifa's inaction took our platform away from us for four years. We sacrificed four years, youthful years, four years that we could have represented, four years that we could have advocated, four years in which we could have pushed the world towards bigger change for women of Afghanistan. We watched the 2023 Women's World Cup from the sidelines. Yet, in two days we have another draw for the Asian Cup qualifiers and we're still not allowed to play.' Khalida Popal, a founder of the Afghanistan women's national team and the first woman to work for the Afghanistan Football Federation, said: 'Fifa's letter is a positive step towards collaborative action and recognising the sacrifice of Afghan women and Afghan women football players. Today more than ever, we want the leadership from governing bodies of sport. Afghanistan should be a case study and used to show how the governing bodies of sport have to create systems so women don't lose opportunities.' The SRA and others, such as Popal, Malala Yousafzai and Human Rights Watch, have consistently called for Fifa to recognise the exiled team. The senior side were evacuated to Australia in 2021, and members of youth teams, provincial teams and staff reached the UK, US, Portugal, Italy and Albania. An SRA report released on Tuesday details how women's football became a symbol of struggle for women's rights in Afghanistan and the desire of exiled players to represent their country in international competition. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Many players have continued to play, with the national team's senior side entering the seventh tier of Australian women's football in Melbourne in March 2022. Under Fifa rules the organisation of an Afghanistan women's team has been the responsibility of the Taliban-controlled AFF. Fifa said in its letter that it was 'committed to developing practical and sustainable measures that promote access to football for all Afghan women and girls to the greatest extent possible' and that it had developed a strategy and implementation plan to ensure opportunities exist for Afghan women inside and outside the country. It also said it wanted to focus on activities to promote the wellbeing of women and girls in Afghanistan and to take part in diplomatic dialogue with organisations and governments inside and outside the country to 'explore ways to reduce the exclusion from sport of women and girls in Afghanistan over time'. Fifa pointed out that it had played a role in helping women's footballers, associated staff and their families to get out of Afghanistan. Andrea Florence, the SRA's executive director, said: 'Afghan women footballers' ability to play internationally depends entirely on intervention from Fifa. Fifa's letter in response to our report laid out their strategy to support Afghan women. It is great to hear that Fifa is working to promote playing opportunities for the players, but we remain hopeful that they will decide to officially recognise the team and allocate financial support as it does to other member associations.'
