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KABUL – Afghan women’s football returned to the international stage on Sunday as the newly formed refugee team, Afghan Women United, played their first match in a FIFA-organised friendly tournament in Morocco.
Facing Chad in the FIFA Unites: Women’s Series 2025, the team lost 6-1, but Melbourne-based striker Manozh Noori scored Afghanistan’s first international goal in four years, prompting jubilant celebrations among players and supporters.
Women’s sport has been banned in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021, forcing many players to flee the country. Before the ban, Afghanistan had 25 contracted women players, most of whom now live abroad.
Captain Fatima Haidari described the match as a long-awaited victory, saying the team was “profoundly grateful” to FIFA for the opportunity to compete and showcase what Afghan women are capable of on the global stage.
Coached by Pauline Hamill, Afghan Women United will face Tunisia on Wednesday and Libya on Saturday, marking a symbolic revival of Afghan women’s football after years of restrictions and international isolation.
