Three years ago, a team of exiled Afghan women looked on with frustration as the Women’s World Cup took place in the Australian cities where they lived.

The displaced players have come a long way since then, but the Women’s Asian Cup, which starts in Australia on March 1, is both an inspiration and a reminder of the many hurdles they must still clear to play international matches.

“I couldn’t stop crying the entire time as it reminded me of a time that I was able to take that pride and play for my country [before the return of the Taliban in 2021],” defender Mursal Sadat told DW of her memories of the 2023 World Cup, at which point Afghanistan had no women’s national team. “Hopefully, Afghanistan will be competing by the next qualifiers.”

The dream of competing for Afghanistan at a World Cup moved a step closed last October when an Afghan women’s team branded as Afghan Women United were recognized by FIFA and played in a friendly tournament in Morocco.

‘Eager to represent Afghanistan again’ 

The team’s first major step on the path to international recognition from football’s governing body was an emotional and sporting milestone after a four-year battle to be heard. But four months later, they have yet to play another fixture.

“Morocco was a big milestone, but for us it is only the beginning,” UK-based goalkeeper Elaha Safdari told DW. “As players, we are always eager to represent Afghanistan again. Of course, we want more international matches, but we have stayed disciplined, training hard and improving as a team. We know the staff is working behind the scenes to create more opportunities so we remain ready and motivated.”

After a period of silence, FIFA announced on Monday that Afghanistan will play two unnamed opponents in the June international break, with further information to follow “in the coming months.” Those players based in Europe were involved in a training camp in Doncaster, England, earlier this month, while those based in Australia are set for something similar later in the year.

Given the team’s struggles for recognition, trauma and the development gap that has emerged after missing four years of international competition, the World Cup in Brazil next year, was always going to come too soon. March’s Asian Cup will decide which Asian teams qualify for Brazil 2027 — the semifinalists will make it automatically, while the losing quarterfinalists will go into a series of playoffs for the remaining four Asian spots.

Taliban and UAE ties ‘logical explanation’ for visa rejection

Like Afghanistan, the UAE will not be at Brazil 2027 after failing to qualify for the Asian Cup. It’s fair to say they also won’t be the Afghan team’s opponents in June either, after the Gulf state refused to allow the Afghanistan players to enter the country in October, forcing a last minute change of host country to Morocco.

FIFA has since repeatedly refused to answer any questions from DW on why the UAE, who had agreed to host and play the team, reneged on the deal. It appears more than likely that the UAE’s relationship with the Taliban was the reason for the refusal.

“That appears to be the most reasonable and logical explanation,” Alison Battisson, the Australian human rights lawyer who helped the team find asylum in Australia and maintains close contact with the players, told DW. “The UAE can turn around visas in hours for a team. If it is true that they went quiet on FIFA in that week beforehand, withdrew visas that had been granted or didn’t grant visas, that is really quite extraordinary.

“To me, it says that, without explanation, somebody much more senior and not really that concerned about women’s sport stepped in and said we have to prioritize this other interest, which I can only assume is economic interest in Afghanistan.”

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FIFA doubles down on UAE relationship

DW understands this is also the suspicion of many players, but FIFA’s silence leaves the situation unclear. The organization, headed by Gianni Infantino, were less tight-lipped when they announced “the launch of a new annual world football awards event in Dubai [in the UAE]” on December 29, two months after the visa refusal.

From this year, the press release said, these awards will be the “official annual FIFA awards ceremony that gathers the world’s most influential football figures, celebrating the best players, teams, and achievements of the beautiful game for the previous year.”

Given what happened in October, it’s safe to assume the players of Afghanistan Women United would not be able to attend such a ceremony.

While Afghan players past and present do express gratitude for FIFA’s support, the explicit backing of a country that rejected a team FIFA has recognized is impossible to square with the governing body’s commitment to use “advocacy and diplomacy with relevant actors and organizations regarding long-term access to sport” for the Afghan women.

Afghan defender Sadat has, like most of her teammates, been a determined advocate for their cause. While the players have little control over geopolitics, she retains the faith that they can endure and compete in the qualifiers for the next Asian Cup in 2029.

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“Re-creation and recognition of the Afghan women’s national team from exile is something that millions of Afghans want because it’s a protest against the regime of the Taliban,” Sadat said to DW. “It’s a slap from the football world to say: ‘you are trying to silence them and stop them from playing, but we are still here, and we are giving them the platform to rise, shine and use their sport as a weapon to fight against the gender apartheid and injustice.’”

Afghan cricket’s rise amid war and Taliban rule

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Edited by: Jonathan Harding

Team India batter Rinku Singh might not be available for the upcoming crucial T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match against Zimbabwe as he has left the squad due to a family emergency. The upcoming contest is scheduled to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, on Thursday, February 26.

According to a report by the Times of India, Rinku Singh was absent from the mandatory training session ahead of the do-or-die match.

“It is reliably learnt that his father was undergoing cancer treatment for over a year, and his condition has deteriorated in the last few days,” the report read.

Team India have a wide variety of options on the bench as they appear to head into the match with a blend of forced and unforced changes after the nature of their most recent Super 8 match. One of the tasks would be to replace Rinku Singh in such a fashion that does not hamper the balance too much as he was the sole specialist finisher in the squad.

On that note, let us take a look at the three ways India can replace Rinku Singh in the IND vs ZIM T20 World Cup 2026 match.

#1 Sanju Samson in for Rinku Singh

Rinku Singh’s absence undoubtedly leaves a hole in Team India’s lower middle-order. However, it comes across as an opportunity to repair or even bolster the top-order which has proven to be the biggest bane in the T20 World Cup 2026, without which resolving other problems seems redundant.

Although Sanju Samson coming in for Rinku Singh is hardly a like-for-like swap, it does allow them to break their left-handed trend at the top of the order. The change also demotes the struggling Tilak Varma to a No.5 role where, although there is a touch of unfamiliarty there is a bit of ease in terms of pressure.

With the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and the in-form Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube around him, there is no need for him to become the backbone of the batting unit.

The change also does not tarnish India’s batting depth, nor does it affect India’s bowling resources or combination by any means.

#2 Axar Patel in for Rinku Singh

Team India sorely felt the absence of their vice-captain during the humbling loss against South Africa in the Super 8. While it is almost certain that Axar Patel has to return to the playing XI, it need not necessarily be as a straight-swap for Washington Sundar, especially now that Rinku Singh’s spot might be vacant.

Bringing in Axar Patel gives India the third spin bowling option that they have tried to incorporate, and perhaps even need to. His return to the playing XI in place of Rinku Singh, keeps Washington Sundar part of the side, who could play a role on his home ground.

It also gives India a much better roster of six bowlers, instead of having to turn to Shivam Dube on every occasion. Despite the pace bowling all-rounder’s undeniable improvement in terms of increase in pace, bowling smartness, and ability to break partnerships, India cannot afford any more slip-ups from here on, which calls for the need for a proper proven option even for a sixth choice bowler.

With both Axar Patel and Washington Sundar in the setup, they can use the former as a proper floater at No.5 to combat the likes of wrist spinner Graeme Cremer.

#3 Kuldeep Yadav in for Rinku Singh

The defeat against South Africa highlighted that even the No. 1-ranked T20I bowler, Varun Chakaravarthy, can be torn to shreds, and India do not really have a Plan B in such a scenario. With Rinku Singh likely not to be in the scheme of things against Zimbabwe, it gives the management an excellent opportunity to reintegrate Kuldeep Yadav back into the mix.

The Zimbabwe batters will find it quite hard to deal with the mystery of Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav in tandem at Chepauk, which may have something in it for the spinners.

This particular change might have an impact on the batting depth as a long tail of Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh follows the No.7 spot. However, despite recent form, the batting unit has enough reputation and calibre outscore Zimbabwe, especially if they have four specialist bowlers to back up their act across either innings.