Portugal has granted asylum to the young female footballers of Afghanistan who fled their country in the fear of the new government led by the Taliban. The girls, mostly ages 14-16, finally arrived in Lisbon after being safely evacuated from Afghanistan last month on 19 September. Speaking with the media, girls said that they don’t want to go back to their war-torn nation as they feel that their future is not secure under the Taliban’s regime.
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Speaking with the news agency Reuters, 15-year-old Afghan footballer Sarah said that she feels safe in Portugal, hoping to pursue her dream to play football professionally. Sarah, who left everything behind in her homeland, said that she would like to go back to Afghanistan if she can live freely there.
Sarah is also hoping that she would meet legend Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal.
Afghanistan women’s captain Farkhunda Muhta, who played a key role to rescue her team from Afghanistan, has thanked Portugal to give asylum to Afghanistan’s female football squad.
Muhta had been working and arranging a charter plane from her home Canada to pull girls out from Afghanistan.
The Taliban has banned sports for women in Afghanistan after taking over the charge from the West-backed democratic government. Last month, a Taliban leader had said women can’t play sports as their bodies might be exposed in sports outfits.
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