Afghan Girls, Big Dreams
Shegofa Hassani, Australia
Football United is a University of New South Wales program that supports young people through regular, free and accessible football, and builds pathways for young people through leadership and coaching. The Football United program operates in Myanmar and in Australia - particularly in communities with high numbers of refugee families from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, DRC, and Sudan.
Can you tell us your personal story?
I came to Australia as a 9-year-old. We fled Afghanistan because of the conflict, as we did not see a safe future there. I started playing football in the park with my brothers and dad. As my brothers started to play with a club, naturally I wanted to follow but initially my mum was reluctant because of our culture and what people would say. We convinced my mum to let me play and I’ve been playing for over 12 years – I am currently a player and coach with Football United. Now I manage an Afghan girls team called Sydney United Girls. We compete in the interstate Afghan National Football tournament every year.
None of our girls played football back in Afghanistan because girls were not allowed to play. Of course, that has changed now, we have a national side.
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?
The photos show Shogofa Rahimi at a Sydney United Girls training session in Sydney. Shogofa was also raised in a family full of sporty boys. Her passion for football started as a child when she played with her brothers. However, she hesitated to pursue it further because of cultural barriers and her family. After years of giving up hope of playing football, she finally got the opportunity to play with Sydney United Girls, when her brother introduced her to the team. Initially her parents did not approve, however they have learned to accept it and encourage her to follow her dreams.
I tried to capture the girls in the moment, enjoying the session even as we trained into the darkness. We train in the local park with no access to club facilities.
Why is football important to you and your community?
I feel like my truest self when I am on the football pitch. It is where I feel most empowered and most connected with people around me. And recently it has given me the opportunity to reconnect with my Afghan community and my culture through the team. It is important for my community because a lot of people still don’t think Afghan girls should play sport, and this allows us an opportunity to prove them wrong and stay active and socially connected.
Do you play football now with any Australian people? How do you find the Australian people?
We try to play in tournaments and organise friendly matches with other teams to challenge ourselves. Even though we are an Afghan team, everyone is welcome to train with us. We find Australian people to be kind and welcoming.
What ambitions do you have for the future?
I want more and more Afghan girls to dream big and follow those dreams. Too many of our girls are only dreaming and not following those dreams because of cultural, family and financial barriers. We aim to eliminate barriers by building trust, being visible and doing our thing.
