Melbourne-based Afghan women's team dreaming of Olympics

[p]Global governing body FIFA approved a ‌rule change on Wednesday allowing them to play official international matches, building on the FIFA-backed Afghan ‌Women United team set up last year for players living outside their ‌homeland.[/p][p]Goalkeeper Fatima Yousufi, now based in Melbourne with many of the exiles, said the ‌players were overwhelmed when they heard the news.[/p][p]"[b]One hundred percent emotional. Tears ‌of joy -- because we never stopped representing Afghanistan in our hearts,[/b]" the 24-year-old told Reuters in a video call.[/p][p]"[b]And now the world is finally recognising that. But at the same time ... ‌many girls in Afghanistan still don't have this ⁠opportunity, so this moment is also for ‌them.[/b]"[/p][p]Prior to the Taliban's takeover, Afghanistan had 25 women players under contract, most of ​whom now live in Australia.[/p][p]Afghan Women United is currently undergoing a selection process, with FIFA hosting regional selection camps in England and Australia.[/p][p]While ​Afghanistan will not be eligible to qualify for the Women's World Cup in Brazil next year, they could still compete in qualifiers for the 2028 Los ⁠Angeles Olympics.[/p][p]"[b]Thinking about all those [/b](opportunities) [b]​coming up, [/b](those) [b]events will be the greatest thing that could happen for the team,[/b]" said Yousufi, who plays for South Melbourne FC while studying.[/p][p]"[b]So hopefully we will make that.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="72535716-fd4f-4e1e-842d-b32da24d5d43" url="https://x.com/JacobsBen/status/2049274412692541684" social-type="twitter" /][p]Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, women's sport has ‌effectively disappeared in Afghanistan, while access to education and employment opportunities for women have been severely curtailed.[/p][p]Like a number of her teammates, Yousufi's departure from Afghanistan was harrowing.[/p][p]Toting only a backpack with a few clothes and a bottle of water, Yousufi was evacuated on a plane from Kabul to Dubai with assistance from the Australian government.[/p][p]She arrived in Australia in a daze, thinking about everything she had lost.[/p][p]"[b]Even our identity, we had to delete everything. We had to, you know, disappear from the public to be just safe during the time,[/b]" ‌she said.[/p][p]"[b]It was such a dangerous time, but I'm glad we made it ​alive and we made it out here and today we're playing.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="5d687fa4-85d9-4b34-962a-7f36408ad788" url="https://x.com/TraceyLeeHolmes/status/2049589148122767458" social-type="twitter" /][p]Yousufi has ‌since been reunited with her parents and all of her siblings in Melbourne.[/p][p]Life as an immigrant in Australia has been a major adjustment but the footballing goals remain the same.[/p][p]"[b]In Afghanistan, I was dreaming of seeing the Afghanistan team in the World Cup,[/b]" she said.[/p][p]"[b]And I think if we ⁠are going to make that happen, ⁠it will be the greatest ‌thing that could happen for Afghanistan women's soccer.[/b]"[/p]