For the love of the game: the Afghan Youth National Team reflects on life after leaving home, making a documentary and the Youth World Cup — Assembly

Still from the film “We Are Ayenda” dir. By Amber Fares. (Photo courtesy of Amber Fares)

The Afghan youth team is at the center of a new documentary reflecting on their 2021 evacuation, prepping for their first Youth World Cup, and their hopes for the future of Afghan girls.

Football is more than just a sport for the national youth football team of Afghanistan. For some people, it offers community and a chance for glory. For others, it is a platform to take a stand. For Ayenda FC – ayenda being the Farsi and Dari word for future — it’s a place of safety, community, and empowerment.

The team is the subject of a new short documentary that follows their escape from Afghanistan following the 2021 Taliban takeover, their resettlement in Portugal, and their participation in this year’s Gothia Cup in Sweden.

When the Taliban took power in August 2021, they banned girls from going to school and limited women’s ability to participate in many parts of public life. Women are no longer allowed to participate in sports, go to work, or participate in activities like shopping alone or visiting beauty salons. “The moment the Taliban took over is when I realized, this was no longer our country,” says Erfani.

Farkhunda Muhtaj — a professional footballer and refugee activist — helped 300 Afghan soccer players and their family members evacuate. There was a sense of blind trust between Farkhunda and the players since they had never met before. “I saw myself reflected in every young Afghan girl,” she says. “I knew that they couldn’t be left behind.”

Farkhunda Muhtaj coaching Ayenda FC ahead of the Gothia Cup. (Photo courtesy of Amber Fares)

After multiple attempts to escape through the Kabul airport and a 21-day stay at a safe house, the team never lost hope. For Fatima Zarbi, 18, though the experience was harrowing she found solace and unity in the company of her teammates. “I felt united as if we were sisters,” she says. “We learned about each other on a deeper level and we built a stronger bond with the team throughout the evacuation.”

“I felt united as if we were sisters,” she says. “We learned about each other on a deeper level and we built a stronger bond with the team throughout the evacuation.” (Photo courtesy of Amber Fares)

Finally, the team was evacuated. On the plane, Erfani felt nervous, like anything could go wrong. Zarbi felt conflicted; saying goodbye to her country under unforeseen and heavy circumstances, But as they descended in Lisbon a wave of emotion hit them. “Safety was the first thing I felt,” says Aziza Alizada. “I felt like I had a chance at a brighter future and,” She adds with a smile. “I could continue to play football.”

Qualifying and training for the Gothia Youth World Cup was next on the agenda for the team. “The preparation was a huge thing for us,” says Erfani. “It was the first time our team was in a big tournament.” Not only that, this was the first time Afghanistan was represented in the cup.

“Training together, for a goal that was bigger than us, was exciting,” says the midfielder. “It was a really proud moment for us.”

When Amber Fares, the film’s director approached the team, she knew that this story needed a platform.

“The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was not just a news story. It was a dream-crusher for countless Afghan girls who, until then, believed they had a viable future in their country,” Amber says. “My hope is that this film will give voice to those who are forced to leave everything they have ever known for an uncertain future.”

And for the girls, they wanted their story told. “We put a lot of effort into this film. There’s a story behind every scene and detail,” says 18-year-old Fatima Erfani, the team’s midfielder. Filming a documentary can be disruptive; cameras and microphones are everywhere, trying to act naturally in front of a camera and crew, but eventually, the team got used to it and found a greater purpose in it. “Filming was fascinating to me,” says Fatima Zarbi, the team’s forward (who doubled as a goalie during the Gothia tournament), “But above all, we were just happy to share our story and, to me, this movie shows the talent and power of Afghan girls.”

“I felt like I had a chance at a brighter future and I could continue to play football.” (Photo courtesy of Amber Fares)

Beyond the excitement of being the focus of a documentary, it was difficult to relive some of their most tumultuous moments, but to the team, it felt necessary. “This is the story of our reality,” says Erfani. “And the sad reality of what female athletes go through just because they want to play a sport or even study.”

While the story of Ayenda FC is extraordinary, there are many women athletes in Afghanistan who still cannot partake in sports. “We went through a lot,” says Zarbi. “But we were able to return to [a] life [of safety]. It’s important for us to share our story — and our story is full of hope, desire, and patience.”

Playing football has been a staple for the team members for most of their lives and it has taken on different meanings to each of them. For 18-year-old Fatema Erfani, playing football has meant an opportunity to represent her country in a nuanced way. “Afghanistan is more than what you see in the news — which is mostly war and women being denied their basic rights,” she says. “For our team to represent Afghanistan, it meant proving people wrong.”