Barred from the World Cup, Fatima Yousufi’s side will contest the Hope Cup in Melbourne while they wait for official recognition
It may not be Stadium Australia or Eden Park, but two days before the Women’s World Cup, CB Smith Reserve in outer north Melbourne will play host to a significant clash of its own: the inaugural Hope Cup. Contested by the former Afghan women’s national team and “Football Empowerment”, a team representing the city’s refugee and migrant communities, the Hope Cup will be imbued with its own symbolism on the eve of the tournament.
“It’s going to be a very exciting, and important, day,” says Fatima Yousufi, a goalkeeper and the Afghan captain.
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