海角大神

Last summer, Khalida Popal knew the Taliban were winning in Afghanistan. But she hoped Kabul might hold. As program director of the Afghan women鈥檚 national soccer team, she hoped 鈥渕y girls鈥� had begun to make plans to leave.

It had been 10 years since Ms. Popal herself had fled, physically attacked at gunpoint for daring to play soccer and not be ashamed of it. But this was different. The players who had remained had continued to speak out against the Taliban. Western powers had held them up as a model of a new Afghanistan. Now, 鈥渁ll of a sudden, the enemy was outside their door,鈥� she says.

Ms. Popal鈥檚 story could so easily be one more example of the failed promise of equal rights for Afghan women 鈥� herself a refugee in Denmark, her team in danger of terrible retribution.聽

Instead, she鈥檚 writing a dramatically different ending. With her help, all her players escaped Afghanistan safely. Soon, she鈥檒l travel to Australia, where the team is thriving as a special member of an Australian league, supported by one of the country鈥檚 biggest professional clubs, Melbourne Victory. And her own Girl Power organization in Denmark is helping female refugees find opportunities and play sports across Europe.

But in that moment some 12 months ago, the women of her team 鈥渨ere crying. They desperately needed help. And I asked myself, what can I do from Denmark?鈥�

She could think of one answer: 鈥淚 am the voice for voiceless sisters. I have a tool.鈥� She could do interviews. She could call for help.

And help came, first in getting her team out of Afghanistan, then in bringing them together again on the field 鈥� half a world away in Australia. There are challenges, from understanding a new language to missing those left behind. But there is also joy. A recent story by ESPN had defenders barking instructions at one another and the team鈥檚 top scorer exuberantly emulating the famous goal celebration of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

It is a far cry from Ms. Popal鈥檚 own experience as a player in Afghanistan, when the women had to play what they called 鈥渟ilent football鈥� during practices. No verbal coordination between teammates. No goal celebrations. Just the thump of a ball that stubbornly refused to stay quiet.

鈥淧rostitutes,鈥� they were called. At least if they stayed quiet, maybe they鈥檇 attract less trouble. They even had to play their 鈥渉ome鈥� games in other countries. But Ms. Popal couldn鈥檛 stay quiet. As the first captain of the national soccer team, she says, 鈥淭he foundation of the Afghan women鈥檚 national team was activism.鈥� She accused politicians of corruption and abuse of power, preventing women from inclusion in society. That led to a physical attack at gunpoint in 2011. She fled, first to Norway, then to Denmark.

It鈥檚 an experience she knows all too well. Ms. Popal had already been a refugee once before 鈥� when she was a young girl and the Taliban rose to power the first time. 鈥淚 have lived this life,鈥� she says. Now, 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to use my experience to help these young women.鈥�