Tag: Popal, Khalida

They Shot at Her. They Forced Her From Her Home. She Won’t Stop Fighting for Girls.

Khalida Popal helped save Afghan female soccer players from the Taliban. Now she is demanding that world soccer officials let them play for their country again.

As the World Focuses on Soccer, a Women’s Team in Exile Aches to Play

The Afghan women’s national team fled to Australia when the Taliban took over. FIFA, yielding to Afghanistan’s soccer federation, no longer recognizes the team.

How an Afghan Soccer Player Escaped the Taliban and Began a New Life

How an Afghan soccer player and her teammates fled their homes, outran a murderous regime and forged the uncertain beginnings of a new life.