The football world is visiting Melbourne. But FIFA ignores the fact that there are players in the city who can only dream of a chance at a World Cup, even a reaction from the governing body. The team of refugee Afghan women would love to slap the Taliban in the face.
Melbourne’s skyscrapers soar beyond the gate, and Rectangular Stadium on the Yarra River is just four miles away. A total of six games of this women’s soccer World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will be played in the 30,000-seat arena, including Germany’s opener against Morocco on Monday (10.30 a.m./ZDF and in the ntv.de live ticker). But the tournament is far away here at Princes Park Oval #1, just north of downtown.
The weather conditions on this Sunday morning are ten degrees and at times heavy rain. The field is more like a field and slopes down significantly on one side. Two garden benches stand at the edge for the substitutes and their coaches. The referee has a voluntary linesman from the host team to help, there is just as little help as spectator stands or even a shelter. District league says hello – and yet world football can be watched here.
From Afghanistan to the Melbourne league
The city’s skyline can be seen both from the World Cup stadium and from here – and yet the places are worlds apart.
(Photo: Anja Rau)
Melbourne University take on Melbourne Victory FC AWT on this match day of Women’s National League 3 East. The three letters at the end reveal what is special: AWT – Afghan Women’s Team. The players are all Afghans who were able to flee their homeland to Australia almost two years ago after the Taliban took power. Thanks to the organization of former international Khalida Popal, who fled to Denmark in 2016, and a network of helpers with a US marine, a human rights lawyer and representatives of the international players’ union FIFPro, Australia was ready to issue visas to more than 50 female athletes. The footballers are also among them when the dramatic rescue via Dubai succeeds.
They are taken in by the Melbourne Victory club in Australia’s second largest city, and the community is trying to offer them a new home. “We are very grateful that we can live in a peaceful city, that we can study or work,” says player Mursal in an interview with ntv.de. “We have a good life here with all the help we get, with the support of Melbourne Victory and the community.”
But of course the homeland that they left involuntarily is missing. It’s still tough, most of the families are far away, having fled to Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, and thousands of kilometers separate the young women from their loved ones. “Not all women cope well mentally,” explains Mursal. They put a lot of pressure on themselves, want to support their families as best they can, send money, but know that they cannot bring them to Australia. “Nobody leaves home voluntarily, it’s the most valuable thing you own – unless you’re in danger. I miss so many things, so yes, I hope that one day Afghanistan will be free and I can go back and visit all the places I love so much,” says the 20-year-old.
“Sorry that FIFA is completely ignoring us”
And something else is missing: Afghanistan on the official soccer world map. At least for the women. FIFA is responsible for this. While the world governing body allows the men’s team to participate in competitions it recognizes, most recently in June at the 2023 Central Asian Football Association Nations’ Cup, it completely ignores the Melbourne Victory team. Letters, requests, calls for help remain unanswered. While the World Cup is also taking place on the players’ doorsteps in Melbourne, they don’t even have the chance to play international matches at all, let alone qualify for the World Cup.
“It’s sad that FIFA is completely ignoring us. It’s really disappointing,” says Mursal. “We train, we go through all the difficulties, we even overcome the dangers of Afghanistan, we just want to represent our country. We want to be representatives for millions of girls and women in Afghanistan, but we don’t even have the opportunity to play as a team in FIFA tournaments. We can’t be part of the FIFA community.”
In order to draw attention to this situation, the team held the Hope Cup shortly before the start of the World Cup. Together with a team of other refugees, they set an example in Melbourne. Also present as a supporter was Wahidullah Waissi, the Afghan Ambassador to Australia, who has remained at his post in virtual exile since the fall of his country’s democratic government.
With their ignorance, FIFA plays the Taliban in the cards: Women playing soccer from your country? Doesn’t exist, it seems. Yes, there is! “The Taliban don’t want women to play football, they’re not allowed to get an education, they’re not allowed to work, they’re not allowed to live in freedom. But we’re here, we’re playing football again,” says Mursal and also emphasizes the political signal effect: “If FIFA gave us the opportunity to officially play again, it would be a resounding slap in the face for the Taliban. It would be a clear indication that these women are thousands of kilometers away from home but still want to represent their country. Maybe not even as a national team, but at least as a companion üchteten team. We could show the Taliban: You won’t stop us! You won’t destroy our dreams!”
At the Germany game
The Melbourne Victory team dominated their opponents this Sunday, finishing 4-0. It’s not a high-class game, they wouldn’t have a chance of winning against professional national teams. But the conditions couldn’t be more different – and ultimately it’s not just about the sporting duel, but about the symbolism. They would give anything to even get the chance to play a game. Mursal, who has already played for her country, explains what FIFA’s silence means for her personally: “Due to FIFA rules, I can never play for another country again, the world governing body doesn’t allow a change of nation. Even if I become Australian, that won’t work.” You are currently denied a future with international games.
Players from another Muslim country, on the other hand, have made it, they are in Australia and New Zealand: Morocco is making its debut at a World Cup. They are playing their historic first game against Germany, second in the world rankings. “There’s a lot of pride, mentality and footballing quality coming our way,” warned national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg at the final press conference. Mursal and her teammates will be watching in the stadium and will keep their fingers crossed for Morocco. “They show the world that Islam does not exclude women from anything, they can do anything they want,” said the young woman. “It is solely the Taliban who are sending the wrong message to the world.” She explained: “We hope so much that FIFA will look at the Moroccan team and think of us and give us a chance.”
It seems illusory to hope for a reaction from the world football association – and yet it is the only way not to have to bury the dream for good. “It is absolutely impossible for the Taliban to give us this chance,” says Mursal. “They would never allow us to do that, they don’t even allow people to walk in the park, they ban women from everything. Women can’t even breathe, how could we expect to ever represent the country.”
For so long, Mursal and Co. can only watch and cheer – and the game at the weekend against other teams from Melbourne. There they can show what they’re made of, and with success: Melbourne Victory FC AWT are currently second in the table and have won nine of eleven games. Away from the big World Cup stadiums, it’s all about small victories and big dreams every day.