Afghan Women’s Soccer: A New Beginning

Women have been banned from taking part in sports in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. But a recent rule change from FIFA means the Afghanistan women’s soccer team no longer needs the support of the country’s governing body to compete internationally. So the team Afghan Women United is officially back in play.

For Grade 11 student Wazhma Akrami ’27, who has been studying at GNS since fleeing her home country of Afghanistan in 2024, determined to pursue an education denied to her at home, it’s a story of hope and resilience:

“It was amazing. I was like, ‘Wow! The girls from Afghanistan did this!’ I couldn’t believe it at first. It’s so valuable for us, because in this situation in Afghanistan, the girls can’t even go outside, and they can’t study. And now, they are recognized by FIFA. 

It was such a nice feeling, and I did cry a lot. It wasn’t fair because for the four years, FIFA rejected them because they asked them to bring a letter from their country. But it’s the Taliban. These women can’t go back to ask for a letter.

But at least they achieved it in the end, and I’m so happy for them! It’s such a big thing for us. I’m so happy for everyone—for all the girls in Afghanistan! And after hearing this, the girls in Afghanistan, there’s a lot of hope in their hearts. 

I did talk with the captain of the team on the phone. She is so lovely! She said, ‘I’m so happy that the girls from Afghanistan are here trying to learn soccer, and they’re playing in their schools. Maybe one day you will play for Afghanistan, who knows? Don’t give up. Just try. We need more players, and we need you in the future. Just keep practicing. Maybe we will meet sometime!’ And I was like, ‘Wow!’

I think they’re going to start accepting players after a while. They want to give a chance to all Afghan girls. They want them to play soccer. They want us to try. She said to me, ‘You can also come and try.’ I thought,  ‘I’m not a good player,’ but I will come, I will try. 

It’s my dream to do something for Afghanistan, to raise our flag— the flag is banned to raise in our own country. But they’re still trying. They still have the Afghanistan flag and it makes me so happy. And that’s how Afghan girls are. I am so proud of all of you. You never gave up. And I know you will not. It inspired me so much. We have identity. 

I started playing soccer this year, this spring season at GNS. I was playing in Afghanistan with my brothers when I was a child, but when I grew up a little bit, people were looking at me and saying, ‘Oh, a girl playing with boys. It’s not a good thing.’ Basically, I didn’t play anything after that, because people told me, ‘You’re old enough to stay at home, not play with boys. It’s not a good thing to be with boys.’ 

But now, here at GNS, I’m so happy that I had the opportunity to play soccer, and I will do that next year too. I’m so grateful. I like soccer, and I’m a big fan of Cristiano Ronaldo! And I always want to do something for Afghanistan. I thought maybe I could swim for Afghanistan, but I don’t know how to swim yet! Maybe in the future!

But I thought, ‘Let’s try soccer. I will try it. I didn’t have confidence at all. But I thought, ‘Just go try it. Maybe they will say, ‘Oh, you’re not a good fit on our team or something. But I don’t care. I’ll just go. And we went and tried, and our coach, Miss Hall, is so supportive! And Mr. Reed, they’re amazing! They’re always encouraging us; how to do this, how to do that. And they never said, ‘Oh, you can’t’ or ‘Your level is so much lower than the others.’ They always encourage us. In every game, they include us. Every game. They never say, ‘Oh, we are just including good players.’ They include everyone. And that is such a good thing. It’s encouraging me a lot. I’ll play next year for sure too. 

I’m so glad that I’m here. And I have learned again, ‘never give up.’”

Wazhma and two other students from Afghanistan are able to attend GNS thanks to generous donors in the GNS community who fully fund their education. They are also supported by Women Leaders of Tomorrow, a BC based organization that connects girls in Afghanistan with educational opportunities in Canada.