# Players use football to champion Afghan women’s rights

https://mins.news/en/item/16307

- France 24, 2026-08-07 15:07 UTC
- Sports
- Original: https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260807-players-use-football-to-champion-afghan-women-s-rights

> Twenty-three members of Afghanistan’s women’s football team, now living abroad, have travelled to New Zealand for a training camp. They are also set to play two unofficial friendly matches against the Cook Islands. The players are banned from competing at home. This is their first gathering since FIFA ruled in April 2026 that they could represent Afghanistan in official matches in the future.

## Related coverage

- [Players use football to champion Afghan women’s rights](https://mins.news/en/video/16320) — France 24 English, 2026-08-07
- [Afghanistan’s women footballers reunite 13,000km from home after ban](https://mins.news/en/item/14788) — BBC Chinese, 2026-08-06
- [Banned from football at home, Afghan women’s team reunites 8,000 miles away](https://mins.news/en/item/14674) — BBC News, 2026-08-05