After a TV Interview in 2018 Revealed Her Involvement, Her Brother Screamed at Her and Threatened to Cut Ties

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The Afghan women's football team, recognized by Fifa, reunited for the first time since the governing body ruled in April that they could represent their country in official matches. The 23-player squad, made up of Afghan players now living abroad, traveled to New Zealand for a training camp and two unofficial friendlies against the Cook Islands. Midfielder Fatima Haidari told teammates, "Be strong as always because we are representing Afghan women.

The team, known as Afghan Women United, hopes to qualify for international competitions like the World Cup and Olympics. Previously, they needed approval from the Afghanistan Football Federation, which was impossible under the Taliban, who returned to power in August 2021 and barred women from organized sport. The national women's team, formed in 2007, was evacuated, with members resettled in Australia, the UK, and Portugal.

Manozh Noori, 23, who now lives in Australia, buried her medals in her garden before fleeing Afghanistan in 2021. She had secretly played football in Kabul, wearing a face covering to hide her identity from her disapproving brother. After a TV interview in 2018 revealed her involvement, her brother screamed at her and threatened to cut ties. She stopped playing temporarily but resumed with financial help from another brother in Germany.

Noori later brought her mother and sister to Australia, allowing her sister to resume her education. "Football helped me get my mum and sister out of Afghanistan, she said. I hope my brother now realises I am not a bad person.