Approved by the FIFA Council in May, Afghan women's refugee team will play international friendlies later this year
Coach Pauline Hamill will conduct three talent ID camps for eligible players before naming squad
Participating players benefit from support and development initiatives as part of three-pillar FIFA Strategy for Action for Afghan Women's Football
In a month when the world's top female players in Africa, Europe, Oceania and South America battled it out for continental glory, another group of international footballers concluded an event far less watched, but no less powerful. Away from the global spotlight, at a sports complex in Sydney's western suburbs, the Afghan women's refugee team took their first steps on a meaningful journey defined by technical preparation, pride and a shared sense of purpose. In May, the FIFA Council approved the creation of a refugee team as part of the three-pillar FIFA Strategy for Action for Afghan Women's Football. Fast forward two months and experienced Scottish manager Pauline Hamill was appointed along with a dedicated team of staff, and a robust plan put in place. In Sydney, Australia, from 23 to 29 July, a group of committed and resilient Afghan refugees took part in the first of three worldwide talent identification camps that Hamill will use to select the historic team.
As part of the third pillar of FIFA's wider strategy for action, the aim is to produce a 23-player squad that will take part in FIFA-approved friendlies later this year, thus returning Afghan women's football to the international stage. The long-term goal is to fulfil football's unique promise: to provide access to opportunity, community and hope - not to mention the thrill of competition - to all. "[Being a] football player gave me the chance to be here. My life is safe. I have a lot of opportunity. My voice is loud, and football helps me and the other girls," said Nilab, one of the players at July's camp. "Football helped a lot, and I felt freedom [in] everything. There is something about football. Football gives us a lot of chances and support." "My goal is not just about me," she continued. "It's about all Afghanistan, especially women and girls. This project helps and supports me and teaches us how we can help each other and how to represent Afghanistan."
FIFA's pledge to aid Afghan players includes individually tailored support, such as providing equipment and building connections with local clubs, facilitating access to counselling, media and social media training (including FIFA's protection service for the latter), as well as identifying potential educational pathways and opportunities within football (including coaching and refereeing). "One year after the commitment we made in Paris, I was deeply moved to see the first images from the talent ID camp for the Afghan women's refugee team and to hear how empowering that experience was," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. "I am confident that we have taken an important step in the right direction by offering these women the opportunity to play internationally while prioritising their safety and well-being. This forms part of FIFA's broader strategy, which includes support for Afghan women living in exile - helping them connect with existing football pathways - as well as continued engagement with stakeholders to also assist those in Afghanistan. We are proud of this, of having brought to life this pilot project, and our aim is to expand it in the future to include women from other countries as well."
Through the Afghan women's refugee team, FIFA intends to bolster the connection between refugees and their native land, their adopted homes, the sport and each other. These initial camps are about scouting and identifying the players who will take part in friendly matches. But they are also more than traditional trials. Whether they make the squad or not, the players will have access to a range of support services from FIFA, alongside the benefits and joy of playing football. "It's great to have the players here. Now we have the chance to work with them and try to evaluate their performance, and they can all come together again in an environment that they always wanted to be a part of," said Hamill, who won 141 caps with Scotland and then coached youth national sides in her homeland and Saudi Arabia. "I think it's an incredible project. It's given the players the chance to perform and play together again. I think they'll create memories that they otherwise wouldn't have created, and making memories with your team is really special." Hamill was one of 15 staff members who worked with the Afghan athletes across the seven days in Sydney. The Afghan women's refugee team will give players the thrill of representing their country and maintaining their attachment to Afghanistan while laying down deeper, more meaningful roots in their current communities. Long-time women's coach Tom Sermanni, whose managerial career has included stints in charge of the senior sides representing Australia, New Zealand and the USA, has spent years working at international football's top table. But after visiting the Sydney camp, he emphasised that the game's primary power is its ability to change lives beyond its glamorous pinnacle. "The great thing that football does is connect people," said Sermanni. "It works across borders. It works whether people are rich, poor or whatever background they come from. Everybody is intermingled in our game, because our game is a golden game." The Sydney trials were an inspirational sign of tangible progress. Naturally, the world's focus often settles on the biggest games and the biggest names. But at its core, football is about the freedom to gather, play and compete. The talent ID camp in Australia was a celebration of the raw spirit of football.
