After screaming for freedom, Afghan players are pulled out of the country

Published on 8/25/2021 00:32 / Updated on 8/25/2021 00:38

Afghan women’s soccer’s cry for help resonated with appeals from FIFA and the Federation of Professional Footballers’ Federations (FIFPro) and gained wings of freedom on a flight that relocated a group of 75 professional players from the country on Tuesday. The Taliban regime has returned to power in the nation, and rights are increasingly restricted with reports of harassment by Afghan women.

The national team was born in 2007 and its best campaigns were present in the semi-finals of the South Asian Championship in 2012. They played in the semi-finals of the tournament against India and lost 11-0. A women’s match together is scheduled for September 23, in Tajikistan, against Vietnam in the second group of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. Next, he faces Tajikistan and the Maldives. Hosts Japan, Australia, China and India qualify early for the finals of the continental competition

The exit of professionals from Afghanistan was complicated. The engineering was supported by authorities in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. With that, they were on the evacuation list. “The past few days have been very stressful, but today we achieved an important victory. The footballers showed strength and courage in a time of crisis and we hope that they will have a better life outside Afghanistan, although there is still a lot left,” former Afghanistan captain Khaleda Popal said in an interview on the website. FIFPro on the Internet after saving some of her female colleagues, “Women’s football is a family and we have to ensure the safety of all members.”

FIFPro Secretary General, Jonas Baer-Hoffmann, celebrated the operation. The commander commented, “We are assured that this group of female footballers and female athletes were able to leave Afghanistan today (24/8). It was an incredibly complex process for everyone involved in ensuring the evacuation. In the country against their will.” .

In an open letter available on the website, FIFPro thanked those involved in the players’ departure. “We express our gratitude to the Australian government for the massive evacuation of footballers and athletes from Afghanistan. These young women, as athletes and activists, are at risk, and on behalf of their fellow professionals around the world, we thank the international community who have come to his aid,” the text says.

The entity also highlighted some names. “We would like to express our appreciation for the tireless work of many people day and night, including Khaleda Popal, Kelly Lindsey, Nikki Dryden, Alison Pattison, Halle Carter and Craig Foster, to help find a safe path out of Afghanistan.

The letter concludes. “There is still a lot that needs to be done to help and train these young women, and we urge the international community to ensure they get all the help they can get. Many athletes remain at risk in Afghanistan and every effort must be made to help.”