Better Than Yesterday

Mina Ahmadi, Australia

In August 2021 the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Members of the Afghan Women’s National Team were forced into hiding, before they fled the country to safety in Australia with help from the team’s former captain Khalida Popal.

Since then, they have built new lives in Australia and resumed playing football. This has included the formation of the Melbourne Victory Afghan Women's Team.

In partnership with Hummel, Goal Click is telling the stories of the players of the Afghanistan Women’s National Team. Hummel has been a long-time supporter of the team, providing kit for the team and aid for their journey in Australia. To support the team and their fight for equality, you can buy their jersey here.

Mina Ahmadi, 17, was a player with the team and now lives and plays in Sydney. She tells the story of her football career in Afghanistan, the support from her family, and her football ambitions.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your football journey?  

My name is Mina Ahmadi. I am 17 years old. I started playing football for the Afghanistan Women's National Team (AWNT) in 2020. Now I am playing for Bankstown City Lions FC in Sydney, Australia.

I used to play football in our school yard and on the street with my friends before joining a real football club. My friends encouraged me more than anyone. My brother also encouraged and supported me. My family always supports us in everything. Just knowing they did not have a problem with me playing football encouraged me. In Afghanistan there are not a lot of families allowing girls to play sports.

I thought that there were no football clubs for girls in Afghanistan, but I kept searching until I found the Adalat Football Club near our home. Adalat is a club in the west of Kabul. Adalat is where everything started for me, and for a lot of other girls. It was the only club in our area that trained girls and boys. They did not charge girls any money for training. 

How did you first get selected for the national team?

There were football matches between all teams every year In Kabul. During those games they select players for different age groups for the national team. I was selected in the under-17 team first. In 2020 there were trials for higher level players. I got selected for the national team after those trials. 

At first it was unbelievable. I thought my friends might be kidding with me, but when I started training with the selected players in a team I thought “this is for real dude”. 

What did you try to capture with your photos? Was there a wider meaning?

The photos were mostly taken on the football pitch while we were training or during football matches. I wanted to show my teammates from the AWNT playing with Melbourne Victory FC and the atmosphere before games or while training.

What does football mean to you and your community?

Football has been the solution to all my problems since I started playing. For our team it represents improvement, courage, passion, and love. Despite every barrier for girls playing sports, we chose to keep going and fight for our dreams. The growth of women's football in Afghanistan was the most important path for our country's improvement in sport and other areas.

Football means having somewhere to be myself. I feel like my whole life is about football. It affects my everyday mood, my goals, my motivation, and all other things.

How have the opportunities for women and girls to play football in your team and Afghanistan changed in the past few years?

Football was growing more and more every day for men and women. Every training opportunity or match being held in and out of the country added to our experience, skills, and improvement. The Taliban takeover changed everything. It is like going back to zero.

What impact has hummel had on you and your team?

Hummel has been providing us with support since we came here to Australia. Receiving support and equipment gives us more motivation.

How has your experience of playing in Australia been so far? 

When I started playing here in Australia in 2022 everything seemed good but different. A few months later I did not feel the same. I have always enjoyed playing football, no matter where it was. Maybe it was homesickness or missing my friends. But it started getting better again in the past few months.

What ambitions do you have for the future?

I have always tried to play football better than yesterday. I obviously want to play for the national team again in the future. I want to play at higher levels for professional clubs. I have always wanted to play for Barcelona one day.

What do you think the future looks like for women’s football for your team and your community? Do you want FIFA to recognise your team?

I hope there are positive changes for our team and other Afghan players. I hope we will be able to represent our country in future games. I think the Afghan women’s national team deserves to play and we have the right to play and represent Afghanistan.