Banned from football at home, Afghan women's team reunite 8,000 miles away

The Afghanistan women's football team, known as Afghan Women United, has reunited 8,000 miles away in New Zealand after facing a ban on playing official matches at home. The 23-member squad, comprising players now living abroad, travelled to New Zealand for a training camp and to play two unofficial friendly games against the Cook Islands.

This reunion comes after FIFA ruled that they could represent their country in official matches, ending a ban imposed by the Taliban in 2021. The team, formed in 2007, was previously unable to play due to the Taliban's restrictions, which included barring women and girls from secondary school, university, most professions, and organized sport.

The squad's journey back to the pitch has been marked by personal struggles and triumphs, as members like Manozh Noori faced threats from family members and the Taliban for pursuing their passion. Noori, now living in Australia, says football helped her and her family escape Afghanistan, while another member, Mursal Sadat, has become a football coach, youth facilitator, and advocate for refugee, women's, and human rights in Australia.

The team, now united in New Zealand, is excited to play together once again, seeing football as a symbol of their resilience and a way to overcome the turbulent history they left behind.