Women's Football Team, Sign of Change in Afghanistan

For many years in Afghanistan, women were not permitted to play outdoor games. They were banned from playing under the former Taliban government. One of the banned sports was football, known in the United States as soccer. But the rise of a national women’s football team is a sign of change in the country.

The Afghan women's team recently went to Pakistan to compete in the South Asian Football Federation championship. The games were played at Jinnah Stadium near Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. The Afghan team did not win any of its games. But the players seem hopeful that they will do better in the future. They also hope the new Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, will take more stepsto support women's football in Afghanistan.

VOA