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New York Times
26-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
FIFA faces fresh calls to recognise Afghanistan women's football team
FIFA is facing fresh calls to officially recognise the Afghanistan women's football team. Members of the national side, as quoted in a report published by the Sport & Rights Alliance (SRA) on Tuesday, have spoken of their ongoing struggle to receive recognition from world football's governing body to compete in official matches. Advertisement The team have been absent from FIFA tournaments since the second Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 with the fresh plea coming ahead of the latest exclusion — from the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers draw, which feeds into the qualification process for the 2027 Women's World Cup. FIFA regulations require teams to be recognised by a national federation, with the Taliban-controlled Afghan Football Federation (AFF) not acknowledging the existence of a women's football team due to the government's ban on women's sports. Afghan women's players have subsequently been campaigning for recognition and financial support from FIFA, in lieu of either being provided by their own nation. The women's team has not played an officially recognised match since 2018. FIFA, responding to a request from the SRA, pledged to 'promote the wellbeing of women and girls in Afghanistan' and to provide 'measures to promote the provision of playing opportunities and other forms of support for those players who are currently outside of Afghanistan' in a statement published on March 21. Football's world governing body also said it would engage in 'advocacy and diplomacy' with the relevant bodies 'to explore ways to reduce the exclusion from sport of women and girls in Afghanistan over time.' However, FIFA did not mention whether it intended to officially recognise the Afghan team or how any specific funding would be allocated. FIFA's position is that the situation is ongoing. FIFA acknowledged that time would be required for the team to achieve their goals, but also spoke of their 'duty to do (its) best to use football's power to unite, inspire change and create opportunities,' while committing to continued engagement with the Afghan team and the SRA. In August 2021, following the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan, more than 75 people associated with the Afghanistan women's senior football team — including players, officials and their families — escaped the nation to seek refuge in Australia. Members of youth teams, provincial teams and staff reached the UK, US, Portugal, Italy and Albania. Advertisement In October 2021, FIFA reported they had assisted in the evacuation of 'almost 100 members of the football family from Afghanistan, including female players' in what they described as the individuals at the 'highest risk' from the regime. FIFPro, the global players' union, was among several bodies in discussions with governments across the world to try secure the safe evacuation of the players. The SRA report — titled ''It's not just a game. It's part of who I am': Afghan Women Footballers' Fight for the Right to Play' and published on March 25 — details the ongoing battle for the Afghan team, which is described as 'a symbol of women's empowerment in post-Taliban Afghanistan…which was specifically targeted for reprisals when the Taliban returned to power.' Khalida Popal, founder of the Afghan women's side and the first woman to work for the AFF, described the situation as 'the game being at half-time, and the Taliban think they are winning. 'If FIFA would change its rules and let us play, we could show the world that Afghan women and girls belong in sport, in school and everywhere in society — and we will not be defeated.' Popal describes FIFA's latest position as 'a positive step towards collaborative action and recognising the sacrifice of Afghan women and Afghan women football players.' 'Afghan women footballers' ability to play internationally depends entirely on intervention from FIFA,' Andrea Florence, executive director of the SRA, said in a release on Tuesday. Florence was equally positive about FIFA's response but noted the importance of moving to recognise the side officially. An online petition for FIFA to recognise the team has amassed over 185,000 signatures. 'Football means everything to me,' Afghanistan international Ahdia Haidari said. 'It's not just a game; it's part of who I am. Playing football has given me strength and hope, especially during the hardest times of my life.' Advertisement Haidari's team-mate Mursal Sadat added: 'In our first match, dressed in our red jerseys, we stood in line with our hands over our hearts, listening to the Afghan national anthem. 'Tears streamed down my cheeks as I felt immense pride representing my country and its 34 million people, especially the women suffering in silence. I thought of the women facing horrific injustices, and it ignited a fire within me.' (William West/AFP via Getty Images)
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.'
Morocco World
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Saudi World Cup 2034: No Alcohol, But ‘Everyone Welcome'
Doha – Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United Kingdom has confirmed that no alcohol will be permitted during the 2034 FIFA World Cup, maintaining the kingdom's longstanding prohibition policy that dates back to 1952. In an interview with LBC radio on Wednesday, Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud explicitly stated that alcohol would not be available anywhere during the tournament, including hotels, marking a stricter approach than the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. 'At the moment, we don't allow alcohol,' Prince Khalid said. 'Plenty of fun can be had without alcohol – it's not 100% necessary and if you want to drink after you leave, you're welcome to.' When specifically asked about hotel bars, he emphasized: 'There's no alcohol at all. Rather like our weather, it's a dry country.' The ambassador defended this position by citing cultural considerations: 'Everyone has their own culture. We're happy to accommodate people within the boundaries of our culture but we don't want to change our culture for someone else.' This stance differs from Qatar's 2022 World Cup approach, where alcohol was available in designated fan zones and hotel bars, despite being banned in stadiums two days before the tournament began. Addressing concerns about LGBTQ+ visitors, Prince Khalid stated: 'We will welcome everyone in Saudi. It is not a Saudi event, it is a world event and, to a large extent, we will welcome everyone who wants to come.' Read also: Morocco & World Cup 2030: If You Build It, They Will Come This echoes similar assurances made by Hammad Albalawi, head of Saudi Arabia's World Cup bid unit, who in September said LGBTQ fans would be welcome and their privacy respected. The announcement comes amid what many observers describe as a persistent pattern of Western-centric criticism toward Arab nations hosting major sporting events. This criticism has been evident in reactions to Qatar's 2022 World Cup preparations and Morocco's joint bid with Spain and Portugal for 2030, leading many to question the underlying biases in such responses. Following this familiar pattern, Amnesty International and the Sport & Rights Alliance lashed out against the decision, denouncing that hosting the tournament could lead to 'severe and widespread' human rights violations. 'Fans will face discrimination… migrant workers will face exploitation, and many will die,' thundered Steve Cockburn, Amnesty's head of labour rights and sport, in a scathing condemnation of the tournament plans. The tournament's infrastructure plans include 15 stadiums, either new or refurbished, to be completed by 2032. FIFA officially confirmed Saudi Arabia as the 2034 World Cup host in December 2024. The kingdom has recently increased its involvement in global sports through its Public Investment Fund, which owns Newcastle United and established the LIV Golf tour, while critics continue their Euro-American gaze by characterizing these investments as attempts at 'sportswashing.' Tags: Cultural SovereigntySaudi Alcohol Banworld cup 2034
