MELBOURNE, April 30 (Reuters) - Scattered across the globe after fleeing Taliban rule in Afghanistan, the country's exiled women footballers are daring to dream of uniting on the Olympic stage after being given a path back to international soccer.
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.
Goalkeeper Fatima Yousufi, now based in Melbourne with many of the exiles, said the players were overwhelmed when they heard the news.
"One hundred percent emotional. Tears of joy -- because we never stopped representing Afghanistan in our hearts," the 24-year-old told Reuters in a video call.
"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."
Prior to the Taliban's takeover, Afghanistan had 25 women players under contract, most of whom now live in Australia.
Afghan Women United is currently undergoing a selection process, with FIFA hosting regional selection camps in England and Australia.
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.
"Thinking about all those (opportunities) coming up, (those) events will be the greatest thing that could happen for the team," said Yousufi, who plays for South Melbourne FC while studying.
"So hopefully we will make that."
HARROWING EXIT
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.
Like a number of her teammates, Yousufi's departure from Afghanistan was harrowing.
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.
She arrived in Australia in a daze, thinking about everything she had lost.
"Even our identity, we had to delete everything. We had to, you know, disappear from the public to be just safe during the time," she said.
"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."
Yousufi has since been reunited with her parents and all of her siblings in Melbourne.
Life as an immigrant in Australia has been a major adjustment but the footballing goals remain the same.
"In Afghanistan, I was dreaming of seeing the Afghanistan team in the World Cup," she said.
"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."
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
