Melbourne Victory FC AWT

Last updated
Melbourne Victory FC AWT
Full nameMelbourne Victory Football Club Afghan Women's Team
Short nameAWT
FoundedMarch 2022;2 years ago (2022-03)
Ground The Home of the Matildas [1]
Chairman Anthony Di Pietro
ManagerJorge Leon
League FFV State League 3 East
2023FFV State League 3 East, 2nd of 9
Soccerball current event.svg Current season
Active departments of Melbourne Victory FC
Football pictogram.svg Football pictogram.svg Football pictogram.svg Football pictogram.svg
Football
(Men's) 		Football
(Men's Youth) 		Football
(Women's) 		Football
(Women's AWT)

Melbourne Victory FC AWT is an Afghan Australian women's soccer team affiliated with Melbourne Victory FC and Football Federation Victoria. Founded in March 2022, the club plays in the FFV State League 3 East, which is the sixth tier of football in the country.

Contents

History

In August 2021, following the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, former national team captain Khalida Popal who was based in Denmark, urged players to delete their social media accounts, erase public identities and burn their kits for safety's sake as they are again under Taliban rule. [2] On 25 August, the Australian government announced they had evacuated 75 Afghan women athletes including football players. FIFPro and Popal worked with authorities in six countries, including Australia, the US, and the UK, to get athletes and their families airlifted out of Afghanistan. FIFPro general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann described the evacuations as "an incredibly complex process". [3] [4]

Establishment

The Afghanistan women's national team were able to regroup in Australia by early 2022. They secured a partnership with A-League club Melbourne Victory enabling the team to continue operating and train at the Darebin International Sports Centre. It is unclear if they would be allowed by FIFA to play official international matches. [5]

In March 2022, the national team was admitted into Football Victoria's state league. [6] They were placed in State League 4 West, the seventh tier of Australian women's football and sixth in the Victorian structure. [7]

The AWT played their first game of competitive football against ETA Buffalo at Delahey Reserve in April 2022, with the match ending in a 0-0 draw. [8]

Jeff Hopkins, the manager of the Melbourne Victory Women's team, served as the inaugural manager of the AWT. In their inaugural season in the Victorian football league system, the AWT finished in third place, a result which saw them promoted to State League 3 East. Hopkins was succeeded as AWT manager by Jorge Leon for the 2023 State League 3 East season. [9]

The AWT finished the 2023 State League 3 East season in second place, trailing first-placed Manningham United Blues on goal difference. The AWT achieved their second promotion in two years, after defeating Endeavour United 1-0 in the Women's State League 3 Play-Off Final.

Players

Current squad

As of March 2022 [10]
No.Pos.NationPlayer
2 DF Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Adeba Ganji
7 FW Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Nilab Mohammadi
9Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Saleha Rezaei
10Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Manizha Sadat
12Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Bahara Samimi
13 GK Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Fatima Yousufi (captain)
16 DF Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Frishta Shaikhmiri
17Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Shamsia Amiri
No.Pos.NationPlayer
18Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Montaha Moslih
20 FW Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Manozh Noori
40 DF Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Fatema Mursal Sadat
42Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Oranos Haidary
44Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Arezo Mohammadi
50 MF Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Farida Mohammadi
—Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  AFG Roona Yadegar

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References

  1. ↑ "Afghan Women's Team To Play Home Games At The Home of the Matildas". Melbourne Victory FC. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  2. ↑ "Former Afghan women's captain tells players to burn kits, delete photos". Reuters. August 18, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Afghan women footballers removed from danger and taken to Australia". Sky Sports. United Kingdom. 25 August 2021. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021.
  4. ↑ Woodyatt, Amy; Snell, Patrick. "Safe and alive, but 'traumatized,' the future of these Afghan women footballers is very uncertain". CNN. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  5. ↑ Lynch, Joey (5 February 2022). "Afghanistan women's football team reunite with hopes of competing in Australia". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  6. ↑ Lynch, Joey (18 March 2022). "Afghanistan Women's National Team to play in Victorian leagues". ESPN. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "Fixture For Women's State League 4 West - GameDay". GameDay. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  8. ↑ Lynch, Joey. "Afghanistan women's national team plays first competitive match in exile". ESPN. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  9. ↑ D'Urbano, Nick. "Marco Rojas is making a $20k donation to Melbourne Victory to fix a 'gap' he saw with his own eyes". KEEPUP. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  10. ↑ "Players". GameDay. Football Victoria.
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