• Group of 77 included Afghanistan women’s football team
• Players suffered beatings and had to pass Taliban checkpoints
A group of 77 Afghani athletes and family members, including members of the Afghanistan women’s national football team, youth team and women’s football officials have left Kabul airport on a plane bound for Australia.
In a furious 10-day period the players’ union Fifpro, a team of human rights lawyers and other NGOs worked around the clock with former team coaches Kelly Lindsey and Haley Carter and team founder and former captain Khalida Popal pursuing every avenue available to get them on evacuation lists, secure the players visas and get into the airport perimeter.