Nadia Nadim on women’s football in Afghanistan one year on from Taliban takeover – report
A year on from the Taliban taking over the country, the women’s football team have gone on to play in the final in two of their previous three games.
A year on from the Taliban taking over the country, the women’s football team have gone on to play in the final in two of their previous three games.
Nadia Nadim, 17, and her teammates from the national women’s football team play with Afghan national team members in Kabul.
Published Thu 12 Mar 2010
The country’s footballing future is still in the balance following the Taliban takeover of 2008-2009.
Since then Nadim’s playing career has taken another significant development with the inclusion of the national team in the Asian Games qualifiers and the inclusion of Afghanistan in the AFC Challenge Cup.
A year on from the militants taking over the country, the women’s football team have gone on and played in the final in two of their previous three games, as they reach the finals of the Asian Games in Incheon, Korea in July.
Before the final they played a group game against Qatar in the qualification process to reach the finals in Korea. They came out on top by beating them 7-2.
The same game in April in the second group stage was won by Japan 5-0.
Nadia Nadim with her Afghan national team members during a practice session in Kabul.
An Afghan national team player (L) and Nadim during a practice session in Kabul.
“There was a big difference in the team before and after the Taliban,” Nadim told AFP.
“It really gave us an opportunity. We could work with this opportunity of playing in our country. This is a big opportunity and we have to try our best to show our team mates and coach that we are good.”
The team has played in every World Cup qualifying round, except the second leg in the play-offs for the African Cup of Nations.
They have competed in Asia Cup, Asian Games, and Asian Youth Championship qualifiers, to name a few.
“We have to do our best. We are one step away from the World Cup and we have to show everything that we are good. We don’t depend on us, we depend on the coach, and we need to be on the same pitch and