Far from home at the home of the
Lionesses, Afghanistan's female
footballers are finally together playing
again. Four years on from the Taliban
regaining power and the women's national
team being disbanded. FIFA is working to
revive it in exile. This the St.
George's part leg of a worldwide talent
identification tour. This is about more
than football. The players want to try
to give voices back to their sisters
who've been silenced in Afghanistan.
It's about the campaign to restore
somehow women's rights in the country.
>> Defender Najmar Refi had just won the
2021 Afghan title with Harat City when
forced to flee through Pakistan,
eventually gaining refuge in Doncaster.
>> Some of my friends back home, they're
saying like a dog on a street has more
rights than a woman's in a home.
>> And what's it like being together as a
group of players? It was like a warm hug
for every single of us like being
reunited and being here together and
working as a team. It was a great moment
for every single of us and it was just
like a dream again to be here to feel
that we used to play back in Afghanistan
together to feel that kind of time that
we spent together the sisterhood and the
hope that we want to share to the world
that Afghan women are still here and
they are still fighting
>> and they want to continue playing beyond
friendlies to come this year not under
FIFA's Afghan refugee team banner but as
the official women's national team again
just like Afghanistan's men who play on
under Taliban rule. Oh, it's just so
ridiculous when men's are playing on
their on their path of FIFA and they can
play and represent the country playing
for Afghans men's national team but
women's cannot
>> this trophy allah safari has still from
life in Afghanistan
>> each say the best goalkeeper of the
league every time I look at this I feel
like I can dream big
>> but even in England she's encountered
difficulties discrimination not always
feeling welcome in society and football.
>> I'm a refugee. I accept that. But I'm
here. I had to leave my country. I had
to, you know, start from zero. And you
know, I'm just the humans who had to
leave her country just to stay alive,
you know, just to keep continuing just
to like I had to leave her. I didn't I
didn't choose it. I had to for my
safety. We've missed so many years and
we don't want to I don't want to even
miss another seconds. That's you know,
I'm just ready. I'm eager and I'm hungry
to play.
>> These footballers have faced so much
adversity now sending out a powerful
message they have every right to play
and hoping FIFA can use their power and
influence to persuade the Taliban to
restore women's rights beyond football
in Afghanistan. Rob Harris, Sky News.