Afghan women secure late FIFA nod for Morocco games

Afghanistan’s exiled women’s national football team received late clearance to play in Morocco this week, marking a tentative return to FIFA-listed action after years in limbo, according to multiple reports from DW and InfoMigrants. The move follows days of uncertainty over whether the fixtures would go ahead and is being seen by the players as a significant step toward broader recognition.

Late green light ends days of doubt

The squad, made up of Afghan players living abroad since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, had traveled to Morocco during an official women’s international window expecting to contest friendly matches organized by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. However, the status of the games was thrown into doubt ahead of kickoff amid questions over whether the fixtures would be sanctioned and recorded as official internationals.

DW reported that the team’s participation hung in the balance until a late decision cleared the way for the games to proceed in Morocco. The fixtures are understood to be the first FIFA-listed appearances by an Afghan women’s side since 2021, when the country’s women’s program was effectively shuttered domestically.

Step toward recognition for a team in exile

Both DW and InfoMigrants described the development as a “big step toward recognition” for the Afghanistan women’s team competing outside the control of the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF), which operates under the de facto authorities in Kabul. The players have continued to train and compete in exile, but their status in the international game has remained unclear for more than three years.

International recognition has been complicated by the fact that FIFA regulations typically require national teams to be fielded by member associations. With no women’s football permitted inside Afghanistan since 2021, the exiled team has relied on support networks overseas and on federations willing to host and facilitate matches. The scheduling of games in Morocco during an official window is therefore being viewed as a breakthrough moment—albeit one still short of full, formal recognition.

Background: Program suspended after 2021 upheaval

Afghanistan’s women’s national team was disbanded inside the country after the Taliban took control in August 2021, leading many players and staff to flee. Several members resettled in countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany and Denmark, continuing to train with club sides and in community-based programs. Activists and former team leaders have lobbied FIFA and regional bodies for pathways back into sanctioned competition.

Despite ongoing advocacy, progress has been halting. Earlier this month, DW reported that the team’s planned games in Morocco might not be approved, underscoring the fragile and complex nature of efforts to reintegrate exiled athletes into official international calendars. The late confirmation allowing the fixtures to proceed was thus greeted as a rare positive development.

Morocco’s growing role in women’s football

Morocco has emerged as a regional hub for women’s football, hosting major tournaments and friendlies and investing in facilities and development programs. The Atlas Lionesses reached the knockout stage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, reflecting the country’s rising profile. Hosting the Afghan team aligns with Morocco’s broader ambition to support women’s football across Africa and beyond, providing competitive opportunities during FIFA windows.

What the decision means—and what it doesn’t

While the fixtures’ inclusion on FIFA’s official match schedule is viewed as a milestone, it does not by itself resolve the Afghan team’s long-term status. Key questions remain about how the exiled side can regularly compete in regional qualifiers, access funding, and be represented within the structures of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation without the backing of the current national federation.

Nevertheless, playing recognized friendlies could strengthen the team’s case for participation in future tournaments and create a template for other federations to host competitive fixtures. It may also encourage additional support from national associations willing to organize matches against the Afghans in upcoming international windows.

Next steps

Further details about the opponents, match outcomes, and scheduling in Morocco were not immediately confirmed in the reports. However, the late sanctioning sets a precedent the squad hopes to build on in 2025. Advocacy groups and former team leaders have urged FIFA and continental bodies to establish a formal pathway for exiled athletes to compete under their national identities until conditions in Afghanistan allow for the safe return of women’s sports.

For Afghanistan’s women footballers, who have spent years training and competing abroad while pressing for recognition, the Morocco fixtures represent more than a return to the pitch—they are a public affirmation that their national team still exists, and that it may yet reclaim a stable place in international football.