Afghanistan
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)The Lions of Afghanistan
(شیران افغانستان)
AssociationAfghanistan Football Federation (AFF)
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationCAFF (Central Asia)
Most capsUnknown
Top scorerMarjan Haydaree (5)
Home stadiumGhazi Stadium
FIFA codeAFG
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
CurrentNR (15 December 2023)[1]
Highest106 (December 2017 – March 2018)
Lowest160 (December 2021)
First international
 Nepal 13–0 Afghanistan 
(Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh; 14 December 2010)[2]
Last international
 Afghanistan 0–5 Tajikistan 
(Tashkent, Uzbekistan; 27 November 2018)
Biggest win
 Pakistan 0–4 Afghanistan 
(Colombo, Sri Lanka; 10 September 2012)
Biggest defeat
 Uzbekistan 20–0 Afghanistan 
(Tashkent, Uzbekistan; 23 November 2018)

The Afghanistan women's national football team (Dari: تیم ملی فوتبال زنان افغانستان) was the women's national team of Afghanistan until the fall of Kabul in 2021. They played under the authority the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF).

History

Early history

The team was formed in 2007 by the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee with players taken from selected school girls in Kabul.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

In an attempt to improve the quality of women's football, the team was sent to Germany in 2008 to hold a preparation camp. Later in the year, the Afghan team traveled to Jordan to participate in the Islamic Countries Women's Football Tournament.[9]

In May 2010, Danish sports brand Hummel International sponsored male, female and youth teams of Afghanistan.[10]

The 2010 SAFF Women's Championship in Bangladesh marked the first appearance of Afghanistan in a major international tournament. In it, they played their first official game, against Nepal, where they were defeated by an overwhelming 13–0 scoreline.[11]

2016 marked a big year for the Afghanistan Women's National Team as they received support from the Afghanistan Football Federation and hired a new coaching staff consisting of head coach Kelly Lindsey, assistant coach Haley Carter, and program director Khalida Popal.[12]

In November 2018, male staff of the Afghanistan Football Federation were accused of sexual and physical abuse of Afghanistan women's players.[13] The allegations included the federation's president, Keramuudin Karim.[14]

2021 exodus

In August 2021, following the second takeover of the country by the Taliban, former team captain Khalida Popal who was based in Denmark, urged players to delete their social media accounts, erase public identities and burn their kits for safety's sake as they are again under Taliban rule.[15] On 25 August, the Australian government announced they had evacuated 75 Afghan women athletes including football players. FIFPro and Popal worked with authorities in six countries, including Australia, the US, and the UK, to get athletes and their families airlifted out of Afghanistan. FIFPro general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann described the evacuations as "an incredibly complex process".[16][17]

The national team also withdrew from the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifiers.[18]

As of December 2022, it is unclear if, or when, FIFA would allow the team to play official international matches again.[19]

In March 2022, the national team was admitted into Football Victoria's state league:[20] they were placed in State League 4 West, the seventh tier of Australian women's football and sixth in the Victorian structure, as Melbourne Victory FC AWT.[21] In May 2022, the team's development side which were relocated to the UK following the fall of Kabul played a friendly against non-FIFA team Surrey in Dorking.[22][23]

Afghanistan was included in the draw in January 2023 for the 2024 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament.[24] The AFF released a statement inviting players based outside the country to play for the women's national team. However, Afghanistan would be withdrawn by the AFC. The statement, which was by an individual based in Albania who was still accredited as the media director of the AFF, was taken down by the federation. The AFF released another statement that it would not allow any players based abroad to represent the country or intend to organize a women's national team at all.[25]

Results

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Legend

  Win   Draw   Lose   Fixture

2023

Coaching staff

Manager history

Name Period Matches Wins Draws Losses Winning % Notes Ref.
Afghanistan Abdul Saboor Walizada (عبدالصبور ولی‌زاده)
2010–2013 10 3 2 5 30%
Afghanistan Faqir Zada (فقير زاده)
2014 3 0 0 3 0%
Afghanistan Amin Amini (امین امینی)
2015 0 0 0 0 0%
2016–2017 2 0 0 2 0%
Afghanistan Ali Jawad Ataiee (علي جواد عطايي)
2018–2021 6 0 0 6 0%
As of 27 November 2018, after the match against  Tajikistan.


Players

Current squad

  • The following players were called up for the xxxxxx on xxxxx .
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club




Recent call-ups

  • The following players have been called up to a Bhutan squad in the past 12 months.
Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up



Head-to-head record

Opponent Pld W D L GF GA GD W% Confederation
 Bangladesh2002112−1300.00AFC
 India3003128−2700.00AFC
 Iran100106−600.00AFC
 Jordan2002011−1100.00AFC
 Kazakhstan100102−200.00UEFA
 Kyrgyzstan210111050.00AFC
 Maldives302134−100.00AFC
 Nepal2002120−1900.00AFC
 Pakistan210143+150.00AFC
 Qatar210125−350.00AFC
 Tajikistan100105−500.00AFC
 Uzbekistan1001020−2000.00AFC
Total22321713117−10613.64
As of 10 November 2021, after the match against  Qatar.

Competitive record

FIFA Women's World Cup

FIFA Women's World Cup record
Year Result Position GP W D* L GF GA GD
China 1991 to France 2019 Did not enter
AustraliaNew Zealand 2023 Withdrew
Total0/9
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Olympic Games

Year Result Position GP W D* L GF GA GD
France 2024Withdrew

AFC Women's Asian Cup

AFC Women's Asian Cup record
Year Result GP W D* L GF GA GD
Hong Kong 1975 to Jordan 2018 Did not enter
India 2022 Withdrew
Total0/20
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

CAFA Women's Championship

CAFA Women's Championship record
Year Result GP W D* L GF GA GD
Uzbekistan 20185th place4004032−32
Total4004032−32

SAFF Women's Championship (2010–2016)

SAFF Women's Championship record
Year Result GP W D* L GF GA GD
Bangladesh 2010Group stage3012218−16
Sri Lanka 2012Semi-finals4112619−13
Pakistan 2014Group stage3003119−18
India 2016Group stage2002111−10
Total4/4101271067−57
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

See also

References

  1. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  2. "Afghanistan: Fixtures and Results". FIFA. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  3. Marzban, Omid (13 September 2007). "Afghanistan: Once Whipped By Taliban, Girl Makes Mark As Soccer Star". Rferl.org. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  4. "The Afghan national womens [sic] soccer team | Journal Reporter". YouTube. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  5. Nick Paton Walsh (8 June 2011). "Afghan women footballers risk death threats, disapproval". CNN. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  6. "Women's football in Afghanistan". BBC News. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  7. Nordland, Rod (9 December 2010). "For a Women's Soccer Team, Competing Is a Victory". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  8. "NATO in Afghanistan – The Afghan ladies national football team". YouTube. 5 December 2011. Archived from the original on 2 May 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  9. "Bend It in Baden-Württemberg: Afghan Women Footballers Hone Their Skills in Stuttgart – SPIEGEL ONLINE". Der Spiegel. Spiegel.de. February 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  10. Johannsen, Alissa (26 July 2011). "Afghanistan Women: Kicking and Dreaming". Women's Health Magazine. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  11. "How European nations helped Afghanistan women hone their football skills". FIFA. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  12. "Khalida Popal, Afghanistan football pioneer: 'If the haters couldn't stop me, Trump can't'". The Guardian. 15 March 2017.
  13. "Afghan authorities probe allegations of abuse in women's soccer team". Reuters. 1 December 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  14. Wrack, Suzanne (30 November 2018). "Fifa examining claims of sexual and physical abuse on Afghanistan women's team". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  15. "Former Afghan women's captain tells players to burn kits, delete photos". Reuters. 18 August 2021.
  16. "Afghan women footballers removed from danger and taken to Australia". Sky Sports. United Kingdom. 25 August 2021. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021.
  17. Woodyatt, Amy; Snell, Patrick (29 November 2021). "Safe and alive, but 'traumatized,' the future of these Afghan women footballers is very uncertain". CNN. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  18. "2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifying round: Vietnamese team have only two rivals in group B". VietnamPlus. Vietnam News Agency. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021. As the Afghanistan team have officially withdrawn from the qualifying round of the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, only three teams remain in group B including Vietnam.
  19. Lynch, Joey (5 February 2022). "Afghanistan women's football team reunite with hopes of competing in Australia". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  20. Lynch, Joey (18 March 2022). "Afghanistan Women's National Team to play in Victorian leagues". ESPN. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  21. "Fixture For Women's State League 4 West – GameDay". GameDay. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  22. "Kim Kardashian and Leeds United help Afghan junior women's football team arrive in UK after escaping Taliban". Sky Sports. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  23. Frith, Will (22 May 2022). "Afghanistan Women's Development team to play in Surrey". SheKicks. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  24. Nalwala, Ali Asgar (2 January 2023). "Paris 2024 Olympics women's football qualifiers: India to play Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan in first round - full draw". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  25. "Afghanistan: the national women's football team that isn't – DW – 03/21/2023". Deutsche Welle. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
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