Manoozh Noori said she “wanted to die” when the Taliban came back into power in Afghanistan in 2021. Their return meant she could no longer pursue her true passion in life – playing football.
Noori, now 22, decided to flee the country where the United Nations say authorities have implemented a “gender apartheid”. She has since begun playing for a team of Afghan refugee women, who last month took part in a first-of-its-kind tournament in Morocco.
The Fifa Unites: Women's Series had originally been scheduled for the UAE before a late change in venue saw it head to the pitches of Berrechid, a city around 30 kilometres inland from Casablanca.
“I had asked myself: do I want to stay in this country with people who want to forbid women from studying, from playing football, from doing anything?” Noori told AFP.
The Taliban authorities, who say that women's rights are protected by Islamic law, have banned girls and women from schools beyond the age of 12, and also from most jobs and public services – and, crucially for Noori and her teammates, from playing sports.
Noori had defied family pressure to represent Afghanistan professionally by playing for the country's national women's team before a Taliban government returned to power.
She said she buried her trophies and medals in her family's backyard and left the country for Australia. Her team, Afghan Women United, was formed between Europe and Australia, where other players have been living since 2021.
The team played their first international matches late last month in Morocco – and Noori scored their first goal in the opening game against Chad.
They went on to lose both to Chad and Tunisia, although they registered a big 7-0 win against Libya. But the results were secondary to the continued existence of an Afghan team and the message they sent by participating in the tournament.
Fifa President Gianni Infantino, who attended one of their games, described their presence as “a beautiful story” and said that the women were playing “for so many girls and women all over the world”.
Nilab Mohammadi, a 28-year-old striker and former soldier who previously represented the Afghan national team, said football was “not just a sport – it represents life and hope”.
“There is no more freedom in Afghanistan, especially for Afghan women,” Mohammadi added. “But now, we are going to be their voice.”
Twenty-year-old midfielder, Mina Ahmadi, now studying medical sciences in Australia, said: “This new adventure is a happy moment for us. It won't stop anytime soon, because we will keep moving forward.”
Fifa has yet to decide whether the refugee team can compete in official international matches as representatives of Afghanistan, but the players remain determined to get there.
Afghan Women United now have one goal: to have the squad recognised by Fifa as the official team of their homeland as women in the country are not allowed to play the game.
“These women are incredible,” said Aish Ravi, a researcher on gender equity in sports who worked with several of the players when they first arrived in Australia in 2021.
“They are strong and inspiring,” she added. “They've had to overcome enormous adversity just to play football. This sport is more than a game. It symbolises freedom for them.”
Ahmadi said she dreamt of playing in Europe one day, but admitted that being far from home can prove difficult. “It's very hard to get used to a country where you didn't grow up,” she said. “You miss your family and friends, but we have to keep moving forward.”
