Updated Dec. 6, 2025 — CBS News
By day, Sodaba Khinjani scrubs teeth at a dentist’s office and Rabia Yaqobi cooks in a restaurant. In the evenings they lace up for Houston Shine FC, a team where Afghan refugee women come together to play soccer and reclaim a piece of the lives they lost.
Both fled Afghanistan after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021 and the Taliban’s ban on women’s sports. Khinjani, who was chosen for the Afghan women’s national team at 14, practiced in secret. ‘Everybody that was in sport, was in kill list of Taliban,’ she said. Her brother was killed by the Taliban and his body sent to the family; Khinjani has not seen relatives in four years.
Coach Rachel Fabre said she admires the players’ resilience. ‘The sheer magnitude, the trauma that they have been through to just get to this point here is massive,’ Fabre said.
Most team members balance jobs, training and remittances. ‘Sometimes I’m not eating, save money, send it [to] my mom because my mom needs it,’ Yaqobi explained, describing how earnings are stretched to support loved ones abroad.
In May, FIFA announced an Afghanistan women’s refugee team composed of players resettled overseas, intended to enable participation in the 2027 Women’s World Cup. But in September, FIFA barred U.S.-based players from attending international training camps used to vet the official squad, citing immigration and safety concerns — a decision that affected some Shine players even though many hold U.S. green cards. FIFA said it remains committed to creating opportunities for eligible players not selected for the inaugural team.
Khinjani said she will keep fighting for her place on the pitch and for her rights. ‘I will fight with FIFA. I will fight with Taliban. I will fight about my rights,’ she said.