Afghan Women's Soccer Team to Compete in Historic Dubai Tournament

The Afghanistan national women's soccer team, consisting of refugee players, is gearing up for its first official tournament next month in Dubai, as announced by FIFA on Wednesday. This event marks a significant step for Afghan women in international sports.

While the FIFA-backed team cannot officially represent Afghanistan in World Cup qualifications yet, it will compete against the United Arab Emirates, Chad, and Libya in the tournament scheduled for October 23-29. This is Afghanistan's first involvement in an official women's competitive game since 2018, as women's sports faced shutdown under the Taliban regime in 2021.

The tournament aims to highlight FIFA's effort to support the rights of women and girls in sports, allowing them to pursue their athletic dreams. Notably, Chad and Libya's women's teams haven't earned a FIFA ranking, and UAE ranks 117. All matches in this round-robin tournament will be broadcast live on FIFA's streaming platform.

(With inputs from agencies.)