Afghanistan’s national women’s football team have received support from a United Nations special rapporteur as they urge athletes worldwide to stand in solidarity as they fight their exclusion from World Cup qualifying competitions since the Taliban takeover in 2021.

Many players from the team fled the country at the time because they feared persecution.

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The women’s team has since been unable to compete internationally because FIFA rules require recognition by a national federation, and the Taliban-controlled Afghan Football Federation bans women from playing.

The Taliban says it respects women’s rights in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law and local customs and that internal matters should be addressed locally.

At a news briefing hosted by the Sports & Rights Alliance on Tuesday, Afghan national team captain Mursal Sadat highlighted the importance of global unity in the fight for gender equality in sport.

“If there is one thing that I would request from the athletes all around the world, it would be it is time that we unite together. And it’s time that women support other women,” she said.

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“It would give us a lot of inspiration and support because you guys have a voice to use and that platform is there to be used.”

Sadat added that even a short video posted by athletes on social media would be a sign of solidarity against gender-based violence taking place in Afghanistan.

Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan, said on Wednesday that he stood with Afghan women footballers in their call for FIFA to take action.

“I support the call by Sports & Rights Alliance for FIFA to take a strong stand against systematic gender oppression and ensure that Afghan women footballers in exile, who are barred from playing in Afghanistan, can return to international competition,” Bennett wrote on X.

National team founder and former captain Khalida Popal said the players are not fighting against global football’s governing body but rather seeking collaboration.

“Our platform is sport – together with everyone, with the media, with individuals, with organisations and with governing bodies and including FIFA because we are not fighting against FIFA or any other organisation,” Popal said.

“We want to work together to find the best solutions as using Afghanistan as an example to make sure the other countries, the other nations don’t face what we have faced.”

In 2020, Afghanistan had 25 contracted women football players, most of whom now live in Australia.