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My Beautiful Sisters: A Story of Courage, Hope and the Afghan Women’s Football Team
Argo meets The Bookseller of Kabul in this incredible memoir from the Afghan women’s soccer pioneer turned activist and feminist icon who has helped save more than 350 female soccer players from the dangerous rule of the Taliban.
A story of survival, sisterhood and the fight for feminism in the age of the Taliban.
In August 2021, Kabul fell under the control of the Taliban, a militant political and fundamentalist religious faction. For Khalida Popal, it signaled the beginning of the most important battle of an already extraordinary young life—to get female soccer players out of a city where they faced imminent threat of execution simply for playing sports.
Khalida first began playing soccer in a refugee camp in Pakistan after her parents fled Taliban rule. Returning to Afghanistan, she fell deeper in love with the freedom and comradeship soccer provides. As co-founder and first captain of the Afghan women’s soccer team, Khalida began using sports to empower young women, and was subjected to intensifying death threats in return.
Hounded out of her own country, she continued to support the Afghan women’s team, founding the organization Girl Power and exposing widespread sexual abuse of players. From her new home in Denmark, she watched Kabul fall and immediately knew the risk to the players still there. Assembling a small but mighty network of international allies, she began evacuating women whose lives were at risk simply for loving the sport she had done so much to promote. Her teammates. Her sisters.
My Beautiful Sisters is a gripping, important memoir, and a compulsively readable one—a harrowing yet ultimately heartening story of survival and sisterhood.
A story of survival, sisterhood and the fight for feminism in the age of the Taliban.
In August 2021, Kabul fell under the control of the Taliban, a militant political and fundamentalist religious faction. For Khalida Popal, it signaled the beginning of the most important battle of an already extraordinary young life—to get female soccer players out of a city where they faced imminent threat of execution simply for playing sports.
Khalida first began playing soccer in a refugee camp in Pakistan after her parents fled Taliban rule. Returning to Afghanistan, she fell deeper in love with the freedom and comradeship soccer provides. As co-founder and first captain of the Afghan women’s soccer team, Khalida began using sports to empower young women, and was subjected to intensifying death threats in return.
Hounded out of her own country, she continued to support the Afghan women’s team, founding the organization Girl Power and exposing widespread sexual abuse of players. From her new home in Denmark, she watched Kabul fall and immediately knew the risk to the players still there. Assembling a small but mighty network of international allies, she began evacuating women whose lives were at risk simply for loving the sport she had done so much to promote. Her teammates. Her sisters.
My Beautiful Sisters is a gripping, important memoir, and a compulsively readable one—a harrowing yet ultimately heartening story of survival and sisterhood.
224 pages, Paperback
Published February 27, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
May 18, 2025
In 2021, the US withdrew forces from Afghanistan. The Taliban immediately seized control—and Popal, who was by then living outside the country, immediately began receiving text messages, phone calls, voice notes. She'd once been the most visible face of women's soccer in Afghanistan, and now her former teammates—and the next generation of players—knew that the Taliban would be closing in on them too. They were desperate to get out.
As I started reading this, I remember thinking that it would be purely a story of Popal's attempts to help get these girls and women out of the country before doing so became impossible, perhaps with a bit of her own story sprinkled in; I thought ""I wish she'd also written a book about her own experience"". But then I kept reading—and this is Popal's story, and it's both devastating and damning.
Growing up in Afghanistan and (during the Taliban's earlier takeover) Pakistan, Popal had it better than many girls of her generation: her parents valued education and independence. They encouraged Popal to speak her mind; they were happy for her to play soccer and develop her leadership skills and push boundaries over and over again. They had their limits, but those limits were based on what they knew of the danger of society rather than on what they thought Popal should be allowed to do.
But better is not easy. Popal describes a world in which if men scaled the walls behind which girls played—walls supposedly there to protect them—and those men hurled abuse at the girls, the girls would be in the wrong. A world in which the girls could trust nobody, not even each other, because there were no mechanisms in place that actually protected them, and anyone who stepped outside the boundaries of convention in even the smallest of ways was assumed to be a deviant in every other way possible—and thus not worthy of protection in the first place.
The strides Popal made with women's soccer when she was in Afghanistan, despite all the barriers she came up against over and over, are incredible, but even then she knew they wouldn't be allowed to last. I said this book was damning, and I meant it: she calls out policies that meant that American soldiers in Afghanistan could shoot to kill when anything threatened them, even if that ""threat"" was simply an unarmed girl taking a photo with her phone; she notes that FIFA could take a stance by simply not allowing the Afghanistan men's team to play internationally if there is no corresponding women's team—and funding and support for that women's team—and FIFA has chosen instead to bury its head in the sand. And: refugee processing centers that did not understand that just because women had rights in one country did not mean that they were afforded those same rights in their home country, or that a lack of documentation could be a result of having to flee and flee again, or of that same documentation (e.g., proof of playing on a women's soccer team) posing a mortal danger back home.
There's so much frustration here, but Popal is clear-eyed—she knows how multifaceted the problem is, and how short attention spans are. Another crisis occurs, and the world's attention shifts. She's really good about bringing in her teammates' stories and realities while maintaining their privacy; even when individuals have gotten out of the country, their family might remain, and remain in danger. There's hope in here, but there are limits to the happy endings; go in with your eyes wide open.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
As I started reading this, I remember thinking that it would be purely a story of Popal's attempts to help get these girls and women out of the country before doing so became impossible, perhaps with a bit of her own story sprinkled in; I thought ""I wish she'd also written a book about her own experience"". But then I kept reading—and this is Popal's story, and it's both devastating and damning.
Growing up in Afghanistan and (during the Taliban's earlier takeover) Pakistan, Popal had it better than many girls of her generation: her parents valued education and independence. They encouraged Popal to speak her mind; they were happy for her to play soccer and develop her leadership skills and push boundaries over and over again. They had their limits, but those limits were based on what they knew of the danger of society rather than on what they thought Popal should be allowed to do.
But better is not easy. Popal describes a world in which if men scaled the walls behind which girls played—walls supposedly there to protect them—and those men hurled abuse at the girls, the girls would be in the wrong. A world in which the girls could trust nobody, not even each other, because there were no mechanisms in place that actually protected them, and anyone who stepped outside the boundaries of convention in even the smallest of ways was assumed to be a deviant in every other way possible—and thus not worthy of protection in the first place.
The strides Popal made with women's soccer when she was in Afghanistan, despite all the barriers she came up against over and over, are incredible, but even then she knew they wouldn't be allowed to last. I said this book was damning, and I meant it: she calls out policies that meant that American soldiers in Afghanistan could shoot to kill when anything threatened them, even if that ""threat"" was simply an unarmed girl taking a photo with her phone; she notes that FIFA could take a stance by simply not allowing the Afghanistan men's team to play internationally if there is no corresponding women's team—and funding and support for that women's team—and FIFA has chosen instead to bury its head in the sand. And: refugee processing centers that did not understand that just because women had rights in one country did not mean that they were afforded those same rights in their home country, or that a lack of documentation could be a result of having to flee and flee again, or of that same documentation (e.g., proof of playing on a women's soccer team) posing a mortal danger back home.
There's so much frustration here, but Popal is clear-eyed—she knows how multifaceted the problem is, and how short attention spans are. Another crisis occurs, and the world's attention shifts. She's really good about bringing in her teammates' stories and realities while maintaining their privacy; even when individuals have gotten out of the country, their family might remain, and remain in danger. There's hope in here, but there are limits to the happy endings; go in with your eyes wide open.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
May 22, 2025
This book shattered me. I just finished the final page and, with tears still in my eyes, went straight to preorder it.
If you choose to read it, and I hope you do. Please take a moment to read the trigger warnings. They are not there lightly.
Growing up with the joy and distraction of soccer, these things may very well have saved me. I cannot fathom the full extent of the horrors this book only begins to uncover. What it does reveal is devastating.
Shame on FIFA. I've always known them to be corrupt, but this was a soullessness I wasn’t prepared for. And to the men who carried out these inhumane and vile acts against women who simply wanted to play the game they loved, may you burn in the lowest pits of hell.
This story is heavy. It is dark. It is heartbreaking. But it is also a powerful testament to courage; particularly the courage of Afghan women. Their bravery, their defiance, and their resilience echo through every chapter. So many of their stories will haunt me for the rest of my life. I pray they have found some fragment of peace.
To any of those women who might ever read this: you are among the bravest people I will ever know. I will not forget you, nor your story. I will carry your voices with me and share them with anyone who will listen. And to those who helped rescue even a few, thank you for your humanity. Even if your actions were imperfect, they mattered.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing, Citadel, and NetGalley for the ARC. This story needed to be told. And it needs to be heard.
After reading this book I realized just how privileged I grew up, all the things I took for granted and all the things I still take for granted. Maybe one of the many things I will take away from this book is to do that less.
If you choose to read it, and I hope you do. Please take a moment to read the trigger warnings. They are not there lightly.
Growing up with the joy and distraction of soccer, these things may very well have saved me. I cannot fathom the full extent of the horrors this book only begins to uncover. What it does reveal is devastating.
Shame on FIFA. I've always known them to be corrupt, but this was a soullessness I wasn’t prepared for. And to the men who carried out these inhumane and vile acts against women who simply wanted to play the game they loved, may you burn in the lowest pits of hell.
This story is heavy. It is dark. It is heartbreaking. But it is also a powerful testament to courage; particularly the courage of Afghan women. Their bravery, their defiance, and their resilience echo through every chapter. So many of their stories will haunt me for the rest of my life. I pray they have found some fragment of peace.
To any of those women who might ever read this: you are among the bravest people I will ever know. I will not forget you, nor your story. I will carry your voices with me and share them with anyone who will listen. And to those who helped rescue even a few, thank you for your humanity. Even if your actions were imperfect, they mattered.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing, Citadel, and NetGalley for the ARC. This story needed to be told. And it needs to be heard.
After reading this book I realized just how privileged I grew up, all the things I took for granted and all the things I still take for granted. Maybe one of the many things I will take away from this book is to do that less.
January 14, 2026
This is the story of a very inspiring woman who never gave up on her own dreams and, most importantly, helped others achieve theirs even if it meant great danger to herself.
I have read other accounts of women's lives in Afghanistan in the shadow of the Taliban rule and how oppressed they are but this one struck a very powerful chord because it so candidly portrays the patriarchy and misogyny inherent in society.
Khalida Popal loved playing football from an early age as it gave her a sense of freedom in a world with too many restrictions. Even with American forces keeping the Taliban at bay, life was full of terror and hardship.
Hailing from a progressive family, she had the opportunity to continue playing and gradually started to gather other girls who were interested, eventually leading to her resolve to approach the football federation with the idea of forming a women's team at the national level. Her journey to achieve this goal was stressful and fraught with danger as political and religious forces raised objections and created obstacles at every step. Her determination to expose the sleaziness of the men who ran the sport and fulfilled their own cheap desires while outwardly upholding 'honour' ,is absolutely amazing to read about.
Forced to flee to Denmark because of the risk to her life, she continued supporting the women's football team from outside even when faced with threats and anger due to deliberately created misunderstandings. However, her courage in helping girls on the football team escape the Taliban when they took over once again in 2021 is truly exemplary.
She just never gave up, no matter what the adversity and is proof of that rare breed of human who continued helping others and stood her ground even if it meant being afraid for her own life and everything that was so dear to her.
Her story is narrated in the simplest way but is anything but. It is heartbreaking and rage inducing to contemplate so much loss and such misery perpetrated by those in power with no one to stop them.
In the midst of all the negativity, there are heartwarming moments of connection brought about by the sport of football and the spirit of teamwork that created a unique bond. The women who defied so much to play found solace in their team members and shared precious moments of happiness too.
This is definitely a must read memoir.
I have read other accounts of women's lives in Afghanistan in the shadow of the Taliban rule and how oppressed they are but this one struck a very powerful chord because it so candidly portrays the patriarchy and misogyny inherent in society.
Khalida Popal loved playing football from an early age as it gave her a sense of freedom in a world with too many restrictions. Even with American forces keeping the Taliban at bay, life was full of terror and hardship.
Hailing from a progressive family, she had the opportunity to continue playing and gradually started to gather other girls who were interested, eventually leading to her resolve to approach the football federation with the idea of forming a women's team at the national level. Her journey to achieve this goal was stressful and fraught with danger as political and religious forces raised objections and created obstacles at every step. Her determination to expose the sleaziness of the men who ran the sport and fulfilled their own cheap desires while outwardly upholding 'honour' ,is absolutely amazing to read about.
Forced to flee to Denmark because of the risk to her life, she continued supporting the women's football team from outside even when faced with threats and anger due to deliberately created misunderstandings. However, her courage in helping girls on the football team escape the Taliban when they took over once again in 2021 is truly exemplary.
She just never gave up, no matter what the adversity and is proof of that rare breed of human who continued helping others and stood her ground even if it meant being afraid for her own life and everything that was so dear to her.
Her story is narrated in the simplest way but is anything but. It is heartbreaking and rage inducing to contemplate so much loss and such misery perpetrated by those in power with no one to stop them.
In the midst of all the negativity, there are heartwarming moments of connection brought about by the sport of football and the spirit of teamwork that created a unique bond. The women who defied so much to play found solace in their team members and shared precious moments of happiness too.
This is definitely a must read memoir.
March 4, 2025
Der Ausdruck >>Patriarchat<<< ist für sie vielleicht ein Fremdwort. Aber sie wissen, dass in ihrer von Gewalt geprägten Realität das Leben einer Frau wenig zählt. Unter den Taliban werden die Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft der Frauen in Afghanistan ausradiert. Buchzitat, S. 292
In ihrem Buch Meine wundervollen Schwestern erzählt Khalida Popal ihre beeindruckende Lebensgeschichte. Als Mitbegründerin und Kapitänin der afghanischen Frauenfußballnationalmannschaft kämpfte sie nicht nur für das Recht, Fußball zu spielen, sondern auch gegen tief verwurzelte patriarchale Strukturen und sexuelle Gewalt im afghanischen Fußballverband. Nach Morddrohungen musste sie aus ihrer Heimat fliehen, doch ihr Einsatz für die Rechte afghanischer Frauen hörte damit nicht auf. Besonders nach der Machtübernahme der Taliban im August 2021 setzte sie alles daran, ihre Mitspielerinnen und andere gefährdete Frauen zu retten. Das Buch ist mehr als eine Biografie – es ist ein bewegendes Zeugnis über Mut, Widerstand und den unermüdlichen Kampf für Gerechtigkeit.
Meine Meinung
Bereits zu Beginn des Buches hat mich Khalida Popals Geschichte tief berührt. Sie beschreibt eindrücklich die Schwierigkeiten, mit denen sie als Frau im afghanischen Fußball konfrontiert war – von gesellschaftlicher Ächtung bis hin zu Morddrohungen. Besonders erschreckend fand ich die Schilderungen des Machtmissbrauchs durch Trainer und Offizielle sowie die systematische sexuelle Gewalt, die gedeckt und vertuscht wurde. Khalidas Mut, dies öffentlich anzuprangern, zeigt, wie wichtig es ist, dass Frauen ihre Stimmen erheben, auch wenn sie dadurch große persönliche Risiken eingehen.
Was mich beim Lesen besonders beeindruckt hat, war Khalidas unermüdlicher Einsatz für ihre Mitspielerinnen, selbst nach ihrer Flucht. Ihre Selbstlosigkeit ist bewundernswert – sie hätte sich in Sicherheit bringen können, doch sie kämpfte weiter, um auch anderen Frauen zu helfen. Dabei wird in der Erzählung sehr deutlich, wie sehr sie dieser Kampf auch persönlich belastet: Panikattacken, posttraumatische Belastungsstörungen und die ständige Angst vor erneuten Drohungen begleiten sie. Die Schilderungen ihrer psychischen Belastung haben mich tief bewegt, weil sie zeigen, wie hoch der Preis für ihren Mut war.
Besonders spannend fand ich den Einblick in das Asylsystem. Die detaillierten Schilderungen der bürokratischen Hürden, der zermürbenden Interviews und der absurden Erwartung, dass Geflüchtete jede Aussage perfekt wiederholen müssen, um nicht als unglaubwürdig zu gelten, sind erschreckend realistisch. Manche dieser Prozesse kommen mir aus Österreich bekannt vor, was das Ganze umso eindrücklicher machte. Ich hätte mir allerdings gewünscht, dass bestimmte Begriffe, wie etwa das „Dublin-Abkommen“, für Leser:innen ohne Vorwissen kurz erklärt werden.
Etwas kritischer sehe ich allerdings einige sprachliche Aspekte. Die Übersetzung wirkt stellenweise unreflektiert – insbesondere die Verwendung des Begriffs „Asylanten“, der im deutschen Sprachraum eine abwertende Konnotation hat, hätte sensibler gewählt werden müssen. Zudem störte mich eine Passage, in der Khalida eine Art Hierarchie des Leidens aufstellt. Kein Mensch kann das subjektive Leid eines anderen objektiv bewerten, weshalb diese Stellen für mich etwas unangenehm zu lesen waren.
Ein Lichtblick in der Geschichte ist die Figur Hendrik – ein Unterstützer, von dem ich gerne noch mehr erfahren hätte. Auch Khalidas Begegnung mit ihrem Professor in Dänemark war ein positiver Moment: Endlich wird sie ernst genommen, und zum ersten Mal erhält sie psychologische Hilfe. Gleichzeitig bleibt das Buch bis zum Schluss eine emotionale Achterbahnfahrt – besonders als Khalida 2021 erneut Verantwortung übernehmen muss, um über Leben und Tod zu entscheiden, als sie hilft, gefährdete Spielerinnen außer Landes zu bringen. Erschreckend fand ich hier, wie sich verschiedene Parteien und Medien die Rettungsaktion auf ihre Fahnen schreiben wollten. Es zeigt, dass Menschlichkeit oft nur dann zählt, wenn sie für die eigene Reputation genutzt werden kann.
Ein weiterer Punkt, der mich nachdenklich gemacht hat: Warum gab es so wenig Unterstützung von männlicher Seite? Weder von afghanischen noch von internationalen Fußballern gab es spürbare Solidarität mit den Spielerinnen. In einer von Männern dominierten Sportwelt hätte ich hier mehr Engagement erwartet.
Besonders stark fand ich das Nachwort, in dem Khalida über die Macht einzelner Geschichten reflektiert. Sie macht deutlich, dass Geflüchtete mehr sind als Zahlen in Statistiken – sie sind Menschen mit Träumen, Hoffnungen und einem unermüdlichen Überlebenswillen.
Fazit
Meine wundervollen Schwestern ist ein eindringliches, feministisch geprägtes Buch über Mut, Widerstand und die Kraft der Solidarität. Khalida Popal zeigt mit ihrer Geschichte, was es bedeutet, für die eigenen Rechte zu kämpfen – und wie hoch der persönliche Preis dafür sein kann. Trotz kleinerer Kritikpunkte hat mich das Buch tief bewegt und mir neue Einblicke gegeben. Eine absolute Leseempfehlung!⭐ 4,5 von 5 Sternen ⭐
Wenn dein Team dabei ist, das Spiel zu verlieren, gibt es diesen Moment, in dem du aufgeben willst. Doch dann schaust du dich um, siehst deine Mitspielerinnen und ihren entschlossenen Blick, der dir sagt: Es ist noch nichts verloren." (Mach die Augen auf. Jin, Jiyan, Azadî!) - Buchzitat, Seite 294
November 12, 2024
Really powerful story that is upsetting in the events but inspiring in the resilience and determination show by Khalida and her team.
September 4, 2025
Actually so very inspired by this book. As much as I love women’s sports and make that such a part of my life, I never realized how much I took those opportunities for granted. I can’t imagine having to go through these risks and sacrifices just to play soccer
November 10, 2025
What a sad yet powerful account of Khalda’s love for soccer and the horrible challenges she and others faced to help herself and other women get to play and experience a bit of joy and freedom.
March 10, 2025
Big Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy!!!
'My Beautiful Sisters: A Story of Courage, Hope and the Afghan Women's Football Team' is a memoir by Khalida Popal where she chronicles her story that is tightly connected with the women's football team.
The story is shocking and quite dark, and it often feels like watching or reading a thriller rather than a real story, which makes it even more shocking when you remember that those things really happen.
And yet, after all these things these incredible women endured and fought against, the book has a hopeful undertone. Khalida Popal is also a true rule model, as she is indeed a strong woman who fights against all odds for her basic rights.
I should mention, though, that the book needs some editing, as the narration isn't as smooth at some points as it is at others.
The time jumps could have been handled better as well.
'My Beautiful Sisters: A Story of Courage, Hope and the Afghan Women's Football Team' is a memoir by Khalida Popal where she chronicles her story that is tightly connected with the women's football team.
The story is shocking and quite dark, and it often feels like watching or reading a thriller rather than a real story, which makes it even more shocking when you remember that those things really happen.
And yet, after all these things these incredible women endured and fought against, the book has a hopeful undertone. Khalida Popal is also a true rule model, as she is indeed a strong woman who fights against all odds for her basic rights.
I should mention, though, that the book needs some editing, as the narration isn't as smooth at some points as it is at others.
The time jumps could have been handled better as well.
June 25, 2024
was expecting a fetishized sob story (the west loves one dimensional heroes that live happily eve after in Canada or sm) but I saw her speak at an event and she’s incredibly eloquent and doesn’t let people treat her like a pawn. The story is obviously grueling and could use more editing but her personality comes through and it reads very genuine. I really hope she gets her bag/peace
September 6, 2024
An interesting read and good to get an insight into life for women in Afghanistan. Feel so grateful that I have been able to enjoy my love of football with all the freedom that I’m fortunate to have, simply because of where and when I’ve been born.
November 17, 2025
This story captivated me from the very first page, although it was heartbreaking to read about the violence against the women. It resonated with me that men fear powerful, self-confident women so often, and in so many societies — this is not unique to one religion or rule — but the methods the Taliban and it’s supporters used to silence these players and their families were atrocious. Not only that, the actions by countless men in positions of power in this book were unspeakable to say the least. I’m grateful these stories can be shared to bring light to the situations & hopefully, eventually bring peace to all those affected. Their courage to play, for any period of time, is both undeniable and inspiring.
It’s strange to say, as I grew up in the US in such a different society, but I felt shared sentiments with Khalida growing up (again, viewed through my privilege into the circumstances I was born). I too was never able to accept the inequities between gender that I saw around me, and constantly pushed back when double standards infuriated me. I saw so much of my feelings in hers, while recognizing we were never in remotely similar positions, it’s remarkable to read about her perseverance through all of the discrimination she experienced while maintaining her resolve and convictions. Even while sharing similar convictions, I wouldn’t have been able to hold myself to the standard she did throughout everything she detailed in the book (and I know there was so much more she went through, too), which leaves me in such awe of her character and resolve to keep her head high and continue to fight for equity. It’s an understatement to say I admire Khalida’s courage and perseverance throughout everything she has experienced and am glad she was able to tell her story. This was both a gut wrenching & inspiring read, & I’m so glad I did — I learned so much.
Also, absolutely shame on FIFA for neglecting these players
It’s strange to say, as I grew up in the US in such a different society, but I felt shared sentiments with Khalida growing up (again, viewed through my privilege into the circumstances I was born). I too was never able to accept the inequities between gender that I saw around me, and constantly pushed back when double standards infuriated me. I saw so much of my feelings in hers, while recognizing we were never in remotely similar positions, it’s remarkable to read about her perseverance through all of the discrimination she experienced while maintaining her resolve and convictions. Even while sharing similar convictions, I wouldn’t have been able to hold myself to the standard she did throughout everything she detailed in the book (and I know there was so much more she went through, too), which leaves me in such awe of her character and resolve to keep her head high and continue to fight for equity. It’s an understatement to say I admire Khalida’s courage and perseverance throughout everything she has experienced and am glad she was able to tell her story. This was both a gut wrenching & inspiring read, & I’m so glad I did — I learned so much.
Also, absolutely shame on FIFA for neglecting these players
June 20, 2025
I struggled to rate this book. It is a difficult read. The treatment of these women (including the author) is horrific. What they’ve had to endure is unimaginable. There are moments of hope, courage and friendship sprinkled throughout. But this is a heavy read overall.
The author is incredibly headstrong, determined and brave. She is a fighter. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
On another note, the book has several typos throughout. Very distracting to the reader. This is why I originally gave a rating of 2 ⭐️
The author is incredibly headstrong, determined and brave. She is a fighter. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
On another note, the book has several typos throughout. Very distracting to the reader. This is why I originally gave a rating of 2 ⭐️
September 18, 2025
4.5 ⭐️Really intense story, I’d definitely look at the content warnings before reading. I read this bc Malala had recommended it on a podcast. If you liked her book, you’d probably also enjoy this. The story was super interesting and had a lot of unexpected events going on. Good way to get back into nonfiction and the audio format was great!
July 26, 2025
I want to give it 100 stars
March 19, 2025
[ARC review]
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
PUBLISHED DATE: MAY 27 2025
August, 2021: Kabul falls to the Taliban. Overnight, life for women across Afghanistan changes. The national women’s football team faces an imminent threat to their lives, just for playing sport. For Khalida Popal, the team’s first captain and co-founder, this is not an unprecedented event. Born in Afghanistan, she fled Taliban rule as a child with her family and grew up in a refugee camp in Pakistan. On her return to Afghanistan, football gave her and her teammates power, comradeship and freedom. But advocating for women’s rights in sport put Popal’s life increasingly at risk, forcing her to flee the country, this time alone.
Thoughts: I truly admire people that find their calling in life and are willing to risk it all - their family, their safety, and ultimately their life - in order to do what they love. Khalida Popal underwent so much hardship and lived pretty much her entire life in uncertainty - Will the Taliban return to power? What will life be like back under Taliban rule? Can the people that tell her they will support her and take care of her be trusted?
But, despite it all, she was not willing to give up on her love for soccer.
I followed Malala Yousafzai's story (Shot in 2012 for opposing Taliban restrictions on female education) and Khalida Popal's memoir continued to shock me - people, especially women, forced to fight for their most basic rights. BUT, I couldn't help but feel - was it worth it? The Popal family faced so much danger, discrimination, fear because of Khalida's determination to play soccer. I feel that if you put soccer aside, Popal's fight was for a much bigger cause - showing the international world what is really going on under Taliban rule. But, again, she gave up so much and brought so much danger to her family....because of soccer.
This is an important read - it was quite short and beautifully shared - and it really made me thankful and grateful for my access to not only basic rights, but above and beyond.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
PUBLISHED DATE: MAY 27 2025
August, 2021: Kabul falls to the Taliban. Overnight, life for women across Afghanistan changes. The national women’s football team faces an imminent threat to their lives, just for playing sport. For Khalida Popal, the team’s first captain and co-founder, this is not an unprecedented event. Born in Afghanistan, she fled Taliban rule as a child with her family and grew up in a refugee camp in Pakistan. On her return to Afghanistan, football gave her and her teammates power, comradeship and freedom. But advocating for women’s rights in sport put Popal’s life increasingly at risk, forcing her to flee the country, this time alone.
Thoughts: I truly admire people that find their calling in life and are willing to risk it all - their family, their safety, and ultimately their life - in order to do what they love. Khalida Popal underwent so much hardship and lived pretty much her entire life in uncertainty - Will the Taliban return to power? What will life be like back under Taliban rule? Can the people that tell her they will support her and take care of her be trusted?
But, despite it all, she was not willing to give up on her love for soccer.
I followed Malala Yousafzai's story (Shot in 2012 for opposing Taliban restrictions on female education) and Khalida Popal's memoir continued to shock me - people, especially women, forced to fight for their most basic rights. BUT, I couldn't help but feel - was it worth it? The Popal family faced so much danger, discrimination, fear because of Khalida's determination to play soccer. I feel that if you put soccer aside, Popal's fight was for a much bigger cause - showing the international world what is really going on under Taliban rule. But, again, she gave up so much and brought so much danger to her family....because of soccer.
This is an important read - it was quite short and beautifully shared - and it really made me thankful and grateful for my access to not only basic rights, but above and beyond.
August 3, 2025
De situatie van vrouwen in Afghanistan was sowieso al niet florissant en rooskleurig, maar sinds de Taliban in augustus 2021 de macht van het land opnieuw in handen kregen, verslechterde hun positie zienderogen. Voor de dames van het nationale voetbalteam hield dit in dat ze vanaf dat moment groot gevaar liepen en dat ze hun leven niet meer zeker waren. Alleen maar omdat ze een sport beoefenden waar ze zo van hielden, waar ze zich vrij in voelden en waar ze plezier in hadden. Khalida Popal, oprichter en aanvoerder van het team en tevens voorvechter van vrouwenrechten, kreeg al eerder met de Taliban te maken en vluchtte vele jaren eerder met haar familie naar Pakistan, waar ze in een vluchtelingenkamp opgroeide. In De Afghaanse leeuwinnen (2025) vertelt ze onder andere over de omstandigheden in haar moederland, haar inzet voor het vrouwenvoetbal en haar definitieve vlucht.
Khalida begin haar levensverhaal in 1996 – ze is dan negen jaar oud – en uit wat ze vertelt, maakt de lezer op dat ze tot dan niet eens een onprettige jeugd heeft gehad. Zij en haar jongere broers waren gelukkig, kregen van hun ouders veel vrijheid en beslissingen werden democratisch genomen. Dit veranderde toen de Taliban de macht overnamen en alles in het land anders werd. Angst en wantrouwen regeerden en het gevoel dat vervolgens bij de mensen heerste, wordt door de auteur erg goed overgebracht. Dit geldt in feite ook voor de buitengewoon beperkte leefwereld van met name de Afghaanse vrouwen. Deze wordt op een indringende wijze in beeld gebracht waardoor je met de neus op de feiten wordt gedrukt en je je realiseert dat het leven in vrijheid leven toch wel ontzettend waardevol is.
Van jongs af aan heeft de auteur een eigen wil gehad, destijds misschien wel meer dan nu, maar het tekent wel haar standvastigheid en doorzettingsvermogen. Uit het werk dat ze verricht, het feit dat ze geen blad voor de mond neemt en haar strijd voor de rechten van de vrouw valt op te maken dat ze een sterke persoonlijkheid heeft en, zeker in een land als Afghanistan, dingen heeft gedaan waarvoor veel lef en moed nodig is. Ze is, zo valt regelmatig uit haar verhaal op te maken, een wereld binnengedrongen die door mannen wordt gedomineerd en daarin heeft ze zich zo goed mogelijk staande gehouden. Ondanks het gevaar dat ze daardoor voor zichzelf, haar familie en de meisjes en jonge vrouwen van het voetbalteam liep, zette ze door. Dan kun je eigenlijk niets anders doen dan daar enorme bewondering voor hebben.
Popal is bijzonder openhartig in haar memoires, want ze geeft ruiterlijk toe dat ze het diverse keren erg moeilijk heeft gehad en een keer dermate wanhopig was dat ze een eind aan haar leven probeerde te maken. Ze geeft eveneens een groot aantal voorbeelden van nare en traumatische ervaringen van enkele jonge vrouwen uit het voetbalteam. Wat hen overkomen is, is dermate heftig, aangrijpend, schrijnend en emotioneel dat je er stil van wordt. Tegelijkertijd realiseert de lezer zich dat het volstrekt onbegrijpelijk is dat er anno 2025 nog steeds talloze mannen zijn die de vrouw als minderwaardig beschouwen, als hun eigendom en gebruiksvoorwerp.
Hoewel het voetbal de rode draad – aan de ontsnapping van het vrouwenteam aan de Taliban wordt overigens relatief weinig aandacht besteed – in De Afghaanse leeuwinnen (vertaald door Margreet de Boer en Martine Both) is, behelst het verhaal veel meer dan deze sport alleen. De auteur wil met haar boek duidelijk maken dat de positie van vrouwen gelijkwaardig moet zijn aan die van de man en dat er nog behoorlijk wat mis is op dat gebied. In haar nawoord, dat een goede en nuttige toevoeging is, komt Popal hierop terug en geeft aan dat vrouwen niet moeten stoppen hun stem te laten horen. Alleen dan is het mogelijk dat er iets verandert.
Khalida begin haar levensverhaal in 1996 – ze is dan negen jaar oud – en uit wat ze vertelt, maakt de lezer op dat ze tot dan niet eens een onprettige jeugd heeft gehad. Zij en haar jongere broers waren gelukkig, kregen van hun ouders veel vrijheid en beslissingen werden democratisch genomen. Dit veranderde toen de Taliban de macht overnamen en alles in het land anders werd. Angst en wantrouwen regeerden en het gevoel dat vervolgens bij de mensen heerste, wordt door de auteur erg goed overgebracht. Dit geldt in feite ook voor de buitengewoon beperkte leefwereld van met name de Afghaanse vrouwen. Deze wordt op een indringende wijze in beeld gebracht waardoor je met de neus op de feiten wordt gedrukt en je je realiseert dat het leven in vrijheid leven toch wel ontzettend waardevol is.
Van jongs af aan heeft de auteur een eigen wil gehad, destijds misschien wel meer dan nu, maar het tekent wel haar standvastigheid en doorzettingsvermogen. Uit het werk dat ze verricht, het feit dat ze geen blad voor de mond neemt en haar strijd voor de rechten van de vrouw valt op te maken dat ze een sterke persoonlijkheid heeft en, zeker in een land als Afghanistan, dingen heeft gedaan waarvoor veel lef en moed nodig is. Ze is, zo valt regelmatig uit haar verhaal op te maken, een wereld binnengedrongen die door mannen wordt gedomineerd en daarin heeft ze zich zo goed mogelijk staande gehouden. Ondanks het gevaar dat ze daardoor voor zichzelf, haar familie en de meisjes en jonge vrouwen van het voetbalteam liep, zette ze door. Dan kun je eigenlijk niets anders doen dan daar enorme bewondering voor hebben.
Popal is bijzonder openhartig in haar memoires, want ze geeft ruiterlijk toe dat ze het diverse keren erg moeilijk heeft gehad en een keer dermate wanhopig was dat ze een eind aan haar leven probeerde te maken. Ze geeft eveneens een groot aantal voorbeelden van nare en traumatische ervaringen van enkele jonge vrouwen uit het voetbalteam. Wat hen overkomen is, is dermate heftig, aangrijpend, schrijnend en emotioneel dat je er stil van wordt. Tegelijkertijd realiseert de lezer zich dat het volstrekt onbegrijpelijk is dat er anno 2025 nog steeds talloze mannen zijn die de vrouw als minderwaardig beschouwen, als hun eigendom en gebruiksvoorwerp.
Hoewel het voetbal de rode draad – aan de ontsnapping van het vrouwenteam aan de Taliban wordt overigens relatief weinig aandacht besteed – in De Afghaanse leeuwinnen (vertaald door Margreet de Boer en Martine Both) is, behelst het verhaal veel meer dan deze sport alleen. De auteur wil met haar boek duidelijk maken dat de positie van vrouwen gelijkwaardig moet zijn aan die van de man en dat er nog behoorlijk wat mis is op dat gebied. In haar nawoord, dat een goede en nuttige toevoeging is, komt Popal hierop terug en geeft aan dat vrouwen niet moeten stoppen hun stem te laten horen. Alleen dan is het mogelijk dat er iets verandert.
October 6, 2025
Amazing story written by an amazingly courageous, dedicated woman. She essentially created women's soccer in Afghanistan, grew it, nurtured it , maintained it against incredible odds.
Unlike most women in Afghanistan, she was raised to be independent and speak her mind, expecting to be listened to. She was given more freedom than most of her peers , e.g. to play soccer . When she started building her soccer team , it was in the brief interregnum when the Taliban was out of power. We think things must have been better then and they were, but not a lot. Women still might be physically attacked for appearing in public without their hair covered. "Honor killings" (murdering a girl in your family because she supposedly did something that brought shame to the family) were common. From the beginning, while she was in highschool (I think), finding girls to play on a team was difficult, because so many of them were not allowed to do something like that.
She finds girls to play with and eventually to make two teams for games. Then she goes about finding resources, sponsorships, funding for equipment and then travel to go places where there were other teams to play against, and then recognition for her teams by FIFA etc. I think she must be some kind of force of nature the way she was able to recruit people to her cause , as players, coaches, sponsors.
She succeeds in building a whole women's soccer establishment with a national team, lots of support and recognition. But all the way through it is hard fighting and dangerous, she is threatened. At one point she and her family flee the country, but come back later. American soldiers threaten her with rifles because she is holding a cell phone. She is bullied and abused. Her beloved younger brother is shot to death. Finally she flees the country again, but it is harder this time. She spends a long time in refugee camps in terrible conditions.
Then the Taliban comes back and things get so much worse. Then there is the fall of Kabul, the Americans are leaving and the girls who are known as part of the soccer teams must be gotten out of the country with only a few days warning or their lives and the lives of their family are at risk.
All along the way, girls are beaten, molested, raped. Some of them commit suicide. It is a very heavy, dark book. I had to keep taking breaks from it, because it was so painful to read. She does try to give it some notes of hope, but it is fragile. She also broadens her perspective from soccer to the whole workings of the patriarchy. And not only in Afghanistan.
"You [the reader] will hopefully have felt sadness, hope, despair, but also anger at the unfairness they have faced, at what was taken away from all of us by a repressive regime who assigns a different value to the lives of men and women. I want you to take that anger and remember that this is not happening at a safe distance.
Can you, wherever you are sitting reading this, honestly say the same is not true of your society? The men may not be holding machine guns and the women may not be in burqas, but whether it’s reproductive healthcare, beauty standards, medical practices, ewage inequality, unpaid care work or sexual violence, can you truly say you live in a fair society? Patriarchal society seeks to divide us, to pit us against each other, to stop us from uniting against systems that deny us. Together we are powerful."
Unlike most women in Afghanistan, she was raised to be independent and speak her mind, expecting to be listened to. She was given more freedom than most of her peers , e.g. to play soccer . When she started building her soccer team , it was in the brief interregnum when the Taliban was out of power. We think things must have been better then and they were, but not a lot. Women still might be physically attacked for appearing in public without their hair covered. "Honor killings" (murdering a girl in your family because she supposedly did something that brought shame to the family) were common. From the beginning, while she was in highschool (I think), finding girls to play on a team was difficult, because so many of them were not allowed to do something like that.
She finds girls to play with and eventually to make two teams for games. Then she goes about finding resources, sponsorships, funding for equipment and then travel to go places where there were other teams to play against, and then recognition for her teams by FIFA etc. I think she must be some kind of force of nature the way she was able to recruit people to her cause , as players, coaches, sponsors.
She succeeds in building a whole women's soccer establishment with a national team, lots of support and recognition. But all the way through it is hard fighting and dangerous, she is threatened. At one point she and her family flee the country, but come back later. American soldiers threaten her with rifles because she is holding a cell phone. She is bullied and abused. Her beloved younger brother is shot to death. Finally she flees the country again, but it is harder this time. She spends a long time in refugee camps in terrible conditions.
Then the Taliban comes back and things get so much worse. Then there is the fall of Kabul, the Americans are leaving and the girls who are known as part of the soccer teams must be gotten out of the country with only a few days warning or their lives and the lives of their family are at risk.
All along the way, girls are beaten, molested, raped. Some of them commit suicide. It is a very heavy, dark book. I had to keep taking breaks from it, because it was so painful to read. She does try to give it some notes of hope, but it is fragile. She also broadens her perspective from soccer to the whole workings of the patriarchy. And not only in Afghanistan.
"You [the reader] will hopefully have felt sadness, hope, despair, but also anger at the unfairness they have faced, at what was taken away from all of us by a repressive regime who assigns a different value to the lives of men and women. I want you to take that anger and remember that this is not happening at a safe distance.
Can you, wherever you are sitting reading this, honestly say the same is not true of your society? The men may not be holding machine guns and the women may not be in burqas, but whether it’s reproductive healthcare, beauty standards, medical practices, ewage inequality, unpaid care work or sexual violence, can you truly say you live in a fair society? Patriarchal society seeks to divide us, to pit us against each other, to stop us from uniting against systems that deny us. Together we are powerful."
June 27, 2025
As per request: This is a short but exceptionally powerful story of the brief period in time when Afghanistan had a women's soccer team, from the fall of the Taliban in the early 2000s to its re-taking of Kabul just a couple of years ago. It is inspiring, eye-opening, and a must read for everyone regardless of your love for the sport.
Khalida Popal was raised in an unusual way for a girl in Afghanistan: allowed to speak her mind and treated as if she had value. But when the Taliban forced her family to run to Pakistan as refugees, she finds new freedom and community in soccer, a joy that she works very hard to share with other women and girls her age when her family is finally able to return to Afghanistan after the Taliban's fall. But the residue of that regime still lingers, with the idea of women in sport seen not just as unusual, but as a moral affront worthy of punishment and even death. Resisting the odds, she fights for her right to play and for the rights of other women around her, until a new national team is finally born.
I am blessed to have had enough connections with people in the Middle East to know that most of the American perceptions about them are wrong, and that cultures and situations are way more complex than they appear on the outside. This book definitely helped with that, presenting a face to the world that desperately needs seen: the female face. I was grieved before (and am even more grieved after reading this book) at how pulling out of Afghanistan when the US did immediately destabilized the country, to the point where it put all these girls' lives (and more like them!) at risk. Decisions have consequences. People aren't numbers. In a world that is becoming increasingly violent and suspicious of the "other", we need stories like this to remind us of our shared humanity and responsibility to one another. These are not poor, mooching, lazy, or violent "immigrants". These are people who have endured countless terrors, who did not want to leave their country, but were forced to go or die... just for playing soccer! If we who are more privileged can't muster up enough compassion to put ourselves in their shoes and fight for them to be safe, then we are truly a lost, godless nation. Lord have mercy on us sinners!
Trigger warning for: sexual assault, domestic violence, suicide. It's pretty hefty, so take the warning seriously. But it's real life. It's what Khalida and her entire team had to endure all because of being a woman who wants to play a sport. We do need to face this reality and do better by the women who are being tormented just for being women. There is also strong language, war violence, and very sobering themes. Not for young readers, but definitely older teens can and should be allowed to read it.
I hugely recommend this book to everyone. It's well-written, powerful, and a quick read. It will change your worldview. and it should. The afterward was especially poignant and a much needed message to the world today. We need to do better. And we need to support, uplift, and come alongside women like Khalida who are literally putting their lives on the line in order to make their country a better place for women like them. If you're a woman or if you have a wife, mother, sister, or daughter, you should want to take the messages in this book to heart.
Khalida Popal was raised in an unusual way for a girl in Afghanistan: allowed to speak her mind and treated as if she had value. But when the Taliban forced her family to run to Pakistan as refugees, she finds new freedom and community in soccer, a joy that she works very hard to share with other women and girls her age when her family is finally able to return to Afghanistan after the Taliban's fall. But the residue of that regime still lingers, with the idea of women in sport seen not just as unusual, but as a moral affront worthy of punishment and even death. Resisting the odds, she fights for her right to play and for the rights of other women around her, until a new national team is finally born.
I am blessed to have had enough connections with people in the Middle East to know that most of the American perceptions about them are wrong, and that cultures and situations are way more complex than they appear on the outside. This book definitely helped with that, presenting a face to the world that desperately needs seen: the female face. I was grieved before (and am even more grieved after reading this book) at how pulling out of Afghanistan when the US did immediately destabilized the country, to the point where it put all these girls' lives (and more like them!) at risk. Decisions have consequences. People aren't numbers. In a world that is becoming increasingly violent and suspicious of the "other", we need stories like this to remind us of our shared humanity and responsibility to one another. These are not poor, mooching, lazy, or violent "immigrants". These are people who have endured countless terrors, who did not want to leave their country, but were forced to go or die... just for playing soccer! If we who are more privileged can't muster up enough compassion to put ourselves in their shoes and fight for them to be safe, then we are truly a lost, godless nation. Lord have mercy on us sinners!
Trigger warning for: sexual assault, domestic violence, suicide. It's pretty hefty, so take the warning seriously. But it's real life. It's what Khalida and her entire team had to endure all because of being a woman who wants to play a sport. We do need to face this reality and do better by the women who are being tormented just for being women. There is also strong language, war violence, and very sobering themes. Not for young readers, but definitely older teens can and should be allowed to read it.
I hugely recommend this book to everyone. It's well-written, powerful, and a quick read. It will change your worldview. and it should. The afterward was especially poignant and a much needed message to the world today. We need to do better. And we need to support, uplift, and come alongside women like Khalida who are literally putting their lives on the line in order to make their country a better place for women like them. If you're a woman or if you have a wife, mother, sister, or daughter, you should want to take the messages in this book to heart.
April 15, 2025
A story of courage, hope and the Afghan Women's Football Team
The incredible efforts needed to evacuate the Afghan Women's Football Team from Afghanistan at the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021 are known by most, but the backstory of the fight to even have a women's football team was not known to me. I hadn't even fathomed this struggle just to be free to play a sport.
In this memoir, Khalida shares her small, tenacious beginnings to play and build a team of girls playing football in Kabul, under the oppressive and controlled environment of Kabul well before the fall. In the period before the headlines, when the West were activated in Afghanistan to work on restoration of government and life. The desire to play, and fight for women to be free to represent just as the men were, was a challenge at every turn. Dangerous, life threatening, not just for the girls wanting to play, bur for anyone supporting them.
The oppressive rule permitting women's to fulfil the determined roles, very limited access to schooling and work, let alone recreation and dreams. The long standing patriarchal rule, men in power preventing or demanding sexual favours for the right to play football, is eye opening and devastating.
During the previous Taliban rule, Khalida and her family fled to a refugee camp in Pakistan, when she was very young. Upon their return when there was great hope for Afghanistan, she continued with her education and started building her football interests, and skills.
Fighting at every turn, Khalida managed to form a team, intra-school initially, and built from there, to the dream of forming an Afghan Women's Football Team. To play, and represent on an international stage. To live the dream of every girl who kicks a ball, and feels the thrill of being part of a team.
As threats and risk escalate for Khalida, she manages to escape, and begin the gruelling process to refugee recognition and safety in a resettlement country. From there, whilst continuing her education, she continued to work for the women’s team from abroad.
Discovering the exploitative and abusive environment that surrounded the next generation team, Khalida continued to fight for their safety and freedom, and right and opportunity to play. All at such high cost to herself, mentally. An incredible story of resilience and fight.
The thriller-like retelling of the evacuation in August 2021 is unbelievable, as is the moments for the team, past and present attending the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia.
A must read for every football fan, every sports devotee, every person championing for women's rights around the world. These women have been through so much, and deserve to play.
The incredible efforts needed to evacuate the Afghan Women's Football Team from Afghanistan at the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021 are known by most, but the backstory of the fight to even have a women's football team was not known to me. I hadn't even fathomed this struggle just to be free to play a sport.
In this memoir, Khalida shares her small, tenacious beginnings to play and build a team of girls playing football in Kabul, under the oppressive and controlled environment of Kabul well before the fall. In the period before the headlines, when the West were activated in Afghanistan to work on restoration of government and life. The desire to play, and fight for women to be free to represent just as the men were, was a challenge at every turn. Dangerous, life threatening, not just for the girls wanting to play, bur for anyone supporting them.
The oppressive rule permitting women's to fulfil the determined roles, very limited access to schooling and work, let alone recreation and dreams. The long standing patriarchal rule, men in power preventing or demanding sexual favours for the right to play football, is eye opening and devastating.
During the previous Taliban rule, Khalida and her family fled to a refugee camp in Pakistan, when she was very young. Upon their return when there was great hope for Afghanistan, she continued with her education and started building her football interests, and skills.
Fighting at every turn, Khalida managed to form a team, intra-school initially, and built from there, to the dream of forming an Afghan Women's Football Team. To play, and represent on an international stage. To live the dream of every girl who kicks a ball, and feels the thrill of being part of a team.
As threats and risk escalate for Khalida, she manages to escape, and begin the gruelling process to refugee recognition and safety in a resettlement country. From there, whilst continuing her education, she continued to work for the women’s team from abroad.
Discovering the exploitative and abusive environment that surrounded the next generation team, Khalida continued to fight for their safety and freedom, and right and opportunity to play. All at such high cost to herself, mentally. An incredible story of resilience and fight.
The thriller-like retelling of the evacuation in August 2021 is unbelievable, as is the moments for the team, past and present attending the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia.
A must read for every football fan, every sports devotee, every person championing for women's rights around the world. These women have been through so much, and deserve to play.
May 25, 2025
What is "real feminism?" What is a feminist? What is a "woman's rights activist?" These are all questions that spark controversial conversations about our social and cultural climate today. However, one thing we should all agree on is this: Khalida Popal is a fearless feminist who is the change Afghanistan needs.
One of the worst countries in the world for women to live in is Afghanistan, unsurprisingly. After the Taliban takeover, women lost many social freedoms. Nowadays, if you walk the streets of the nation, you will see several women shrouded in dark shades of blue or black. These burqa-clad women all have stories, dreams, desires, and a watered-down ambition to be someone special, someone important. Yet, the Taliban wants to strip everything they can away from these women and dehumanize them in any way they can, from making the education of girls illegal to making it a crime for women to speak in public.
Khalida Popal is a light in the darkness. She's the fire in the midst of a downpour, someone who cannot be broken, someone who cannot be molded like clay. She's a rulebreaker, a strong rebel who will not be subdued. Popal fights relentlessly against a misogynistic system that attempts to utilize religion and cultural practices to instill fear in the general public. She, however, goes as far as becoming a women's rights activist as a young girl in her tween years. Despite the danger she's in, Popal continues to fight so that girls can be allowed to have the childhood they deserve and play sports freely, just like the boys can.
Popal traveled by herself, engaged in debates, took part in major movements, played soccer, and refused to comply with rules demanding she cover herself. She never backed down, not even when the Taliban began to actively hunt down members of her movement. Not even when her family had to hide in the basement for fear of getting killed whenever warfare threatened to blow their home over.
This autobiographical memoir is a reminder that sexism is not dead. Misogyny is not dead. In countries like Afghanistan, governmental laws and cultural norms are used to denigrate women and systemically enforce inequality on their population. Many of us should be like Popal: aware of the risk, but ready to take it anyway. Because it is much better to fix a broken system than to comply and continue the cycle of hate and abuse.
To all the women in Afghanistan: We hear you. The government of America has betrayed you and backed out at the worst possible moment, but many Americans sympathize with your plight and pray for you every single day. Your stories, dreams, hopes, and achievements are not forgotten. You are important. You are worthy.
One of the worst countries in the world for women to live in is Afghanistan, unsurprisingly. After the Taliban takeover, women lost many social freedoms. Nowadays, if you walk the streets of the nation, you will see several women shrouded in dark shades of blue or black. These burqa-clad women all have stories, dreams, desires, and a watered-down ambition to be someone special, someone important. Yet, the Taliban wants to strip everything they can away from these women and dehumanize them in any way they can, from making the education of girls illegal to making it a crime for women to speak in public.
Khalida Popal is a light in the darkness. She's the fire in the midst of a downpour, someone who cannot be broken, someone who cannot be molded like clay. She's a rulebreaker, a strong rebel who will not be subdued. Popal fights relentlessly against a misogynistic system that attempts to utilize religion and cultural practices to instill fear in the general public. She, however, goes as far as becoming a women's rights activist as a young girl in her tween years. Despite the danger she's in, Popal continues to fight so that girls can be allowed to have the childhood they deserve and play sports freely, just like the boys can.
Popal traveled by herself, engaged in debates, took part in major movements, played soccer, and refused to comply with rules demanding she cover herself. She never backed down, not even when the Taliban began to actively hunt down members of her movement. Not even when her family had to hide in the basement for fear of getting killed whenever warfare threatened to blow their home over.
This autobiographical memoir is a reminder that sexism is not dead. Misogyny is not dead. In countries like Afghanistan, governmental laws and cultural norms are used to denigrate women and systemically enforce inequality on their population. Many of us should be like Popal: aware of the risk, but ready to take it anyway. Because it is much better to fix a broken system than to comply and continue the cycle of hate and abuse.
To all the women in Afghanistan: We hear you. The government of America has betrayed you and backed out at the worst possible moment, but many Americans sympathize with your plight and pray for you every single day. Your stories, dreams, hopes, and achievements are not forgotten. You are important. You are worthy.
June 14, 2025
Forgot how I came across this book but do remember hearing a bit about the Afghan women's soccer team but did not know the whole story. Popal would find herself in the fight of her life after the withdrawal of US troops and the return of the Taliban. Although she had played soccer (football), this activity was discouraged, to put it mildly. But when the Taliban briefly fell out of power in 2001, Popal found opportunities to eventually form a woman's league with her friends.
However, the situation became untenable for her and she eventually had to flee her country, eventually landing in Denmark. Along the way and even still, Popal had to deal with so many barriers: aside from the Taliban, there was the general societal disapproval, the lack of resources, the expectations she marry, etc. And even with the league and team, Popal still found the women players were subjected to sexual harassment/abuse/silence, physical abuse, verbal threats/blackmail if they spoke up, smear campaigns, etc.
So today Popal is helping children access sports as well as helping women in refugee camps. She herself witnessed horrible things such as the physical beating and then rape of a boy by a man. Although too young to understand what she witnessed, she knew it was wrong and this was confirmed by her mother explaining what she saw was rape. And so today Popal continues to help many, even though the Afghan women's team can't play in their own country due to safety concerns.
Overall this was okay. This was an incredibly compelling story but Popal herself isn't the greatest writer and more editing would have really helped. It was also insightful to read more about someone who was directly affected by the Taliban and the US troop presence/occupation, including the eventual withdrawal of the troops. If you're interested in hearing a perspective like this or how hard it can be to get something like a sports league, this might of interest. The sports itself isn't that heavily covered after she talks a bit about how she got into it and some of the matches. And as already mentioned, there are definitely many triggering and dark issues that are unavoidable due to how important they are to her story.
Borrowed from the library and that was best for me.
However, the situation became untenable for her and she eventually had to flee her country, eventually landing in Denmark. Along the way and even still, Popal had to deal with so many barriers: aside from the Taliban, there was the general societal disapproval, the lack of resources, the expectations she marry, etc. And even with the league and team, Popal still found the women players were subjected to sexual harassment/abuse/silence, physical abuse, verbal threats/blackmail if they spoke up, smear campaigns, etc.
So today Popal is helping children access sports as well as helping women in refugee camps. She herself witnessed horrible things such as the physical beating and then rape of a boy by a man. Although too young to understand what she witnessed, she knew it was wrong and this was confirmed by her mother explaining what she saw was rape. And so today Popal continues to help many, even though the Afghan women's team can't play in their own country due to safety concerns.
Overall this was okay. This was an incredibly compelling story but Popal herself isn't the greatest writer and more editing would have really helped. It was also insightful to read more about someone who was directly affected by the Taliban and the US troop presence/occupation, including the eventual withdrawal of the troops. If you're interested in hearing a perspective like this or how hard it can be to get something like a sports league, this might of interest. The sports itself isn't that heavily covered after she talks a bit about how she got into it and some of the matches. And as already mentioned, there are definitely many triggering and dark issues that are unavoidable due to how important they are to her story.
Borrowed from the library and that was best for me.
August 10, 2025
I underestimated how angry this memoir would make me, but in the end it's hopeful and there's a lot of heroes in this book. It's beautifully written, compelling and covers a crucial piece of history from one important "own voices" perspective.
When the U.S. and others abandoned Afghanistan in 2021 and the Taliban took over, the author, Khalida Popal—who helped create women's soccer as an organization in Afghanistan after the Taliban was (temporarily) driven out of power after 9/11—knew she had to help female soccer players escape Afghanistan and certain persecution or even death. I thought that's what this book would be about, a band of organizations and people coming together to free these women. This was only my misunderstanding, nothing bad against the book. In fact, the book is Khalida's memoir, of how she grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan, with two progressive parents, how she fell in love with soccer, how she refused to conform, putting her in danger. It takes us through pre-2001, 9/11, the next 20 years of Afghan "freedom" and then 2021 and after.
Because of the timeline of the book, readers will be furious, worried and frustrated at the terrible things the Taliban—and so many of their supporters, even if they aren't official Taliban—did to this country, particularly to women and girls. But your anger will likely extend to the U.S. and others who never truly helped. But this is an important and compelling story, and I encourage you to read it. It's not graphic in its description of violence, though horrible things do happen, of course.
I'm really glad I read this memoir, even if I felt frustrated and hopeless at times. But by the end, I was left with the truth of all the people who were helping inside and outside Afghanistan, what Khalida and her fellow Afghan women's soccer players have done and stand for, her remarkable parents, and of course, Khalida herself, who is an incredibly courageous hero. She likely doesn't like that title, but she continues to fight for girls and women around the world and "simply" for the right to play games and sports as a girl and woman.
When the U.S. and others abandoned Afghanistan in 2021 and the Taliban took over, the author, Khalida Popal—who helped create women's soccer as an organization in Afghanistan after the Taliban was (temporarily) driven out of power after 9/11—knew she had to help female soccer players escape Afghanistan and certain persecution or even death. I thought that's what this book would be about, a band of organizations and people coming together to free these women. This was only my misunderstanding, nothing bad against the book. In fact, the book is Khalida's memoir, of how she grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan, with two progressive parents, how she fell in love with soccer, how she refused to conform, putting her in danger. It takes us through pre-2001, 9/11, the next 20 years of Afghan "freedom" and then 2021 and after.
Because of the timeline of the book, readers will be furious, worried and frustrated at the terrible things the Taliban—and so many of their supporters, even if they aren't official Taliban—did to this country, particularly to women and girls. But your anger will likely extend to the U.S. and others who never truly helped. But this is an important and compelling story, and I encourage you to read it. It's not graphic in its description of violence, though horrible things do happen, of course.
I'm really glad I read this memoir, even if I felt frustrated and hopeless at times. But by the end, I was left with the truth of all the people who were helping inside and outside Afghanistan, what Khalida and her fellow Afghan women's soccer players have done and stand for, her remarkable parents, and of course, Khalida herself, who is an incredibly courageous hero. She likely doesn't like that title, but she continues to fight for girls and women around the world and "simply" for the right to play games and sports as a girl and woman.
June 1, 2025
Hell of a read. I’ve been waiting for my library to get a copy for ages, and this did not disappoint. Khalida’s story (and the power of sport!) is incredible. And to think that she went through all that she did WITH a supportive family. Stunning.
I highlighted a bunch of things but these two quotes toward the end of the book are so important:
“I watched the Australia vs. England semifinal and the England vs. Spain final alongside my sisters.
The World Cup made us feel like we were part of a movement, of something bigger. None of these players or struggles are connected in a literal sense, but on a grander scale it's all connected, always. Seeing women's soccer moving, developing and breaking records, you couldn’t help but feel a part of those victories.The players on the field weren't just representing themselves and their countries-they represented every woman who has fought to play or wanted to play. We saw our energy in them. We saw them as leaders, representing us on the world stage. The world was watching women's soccer. The attention was on women, and being a part of that was very special.” Page 220
“You will hopefully have felt sadness, hope, despair, but also anger at the unfairness they have faced, at what was taken away from all of us by a repressive regime who assigns a different value to the lives of men and women. I want you to take that anger and remember that this is not happening at a safe distance. Can you, wherever you are sitting reading this, honestly say the same is not true of your society? The men may not be holding machine guns and the women may not be in burqas, but whether it's reproductive healthcare, beauty standards, medical practices, wage inequality, unpaid care work or sexual violence, can you truly say you live in a fair society? Patriarchal society seeks to divide us, to pit us against each other, to stop us from uniting against systems that deny us. Together we are powerful. Together we are a team.” Page 227
I highlighted a bunch of things but these two quotes toward the end of the book are so important:
“I watched the Australia vs. England semifinal and the England vs. Spain final alongside my sisters.
The World Cup made us feel like we were part of a movement, of something bigger. None of these players or struggles are connected in a literal sense, but on a grander scale it's all connected, always. Seeing women's soccer moving, developing and breaking records, you couldn’t help but feel a part of those victories.The players on the field weren't just representing themselves and their countries-they represented every woman who has fought to play or wanted to play. We saw our energy in them. We saw them as leaders, representing us on the world stage. The world was watching women's soccer. The attention was on women, and being a part of that was very special.” Page 220
“You will hopefully have felt sadness, hope, despair, but also anger at the unfairness they have faced, at what was taken away from all of us by a repressive regime who assigns a different value to the lives of men and women. I want you to take that anger and remember that this is not happening at a safe distance. Can you, wherever you are sitting reading this, honestly say the same is not true of your society? The men may not be holding machine guns and the women may not be in burqas, but whether it's reproductive healthcare, beauty standards, medical practices, wage inequality, unpaid care work or sexual violence, can you truly say you live in a fair society? Patriarchal society seeks to divide us, to pit us against each other, to stop us from uniting against systems that deny us. Together we are powerful. Together we are a team.” Page 227
September 17, 2025
It is near impossible to put down this stunningly powerful chronicle of the creation and perilous evolution of the Afghan Women’s Soccer Team penned by its courageous founder herself, Khalida Popal. At a tender age, Popal, inexorably drawn to “the beautiful game” played by Afghan men and boys for decades, took it upon herself to move heaven, earth, and a Taliban-dominated social structure in the larger community to surreptitiously gather like-minded young girls together to independently learn, practice, sharpen their skills, and compete on ever more prestigious soccer fields: no small feat in highly gender-constricted Afghanistan! To learn firsthand about the curses, threats, and all-out abuses directed at Khalida and her other young trailblazers—often at the hands of their own family members, let alone their radical fundamentalist neighbors, and even in some instances culminating in actual murder, suicide, or “disappearances”—is to shake with righteous indignation at their treatment, and tremble at the resolute bravery of these humble girls. Saddled with inept and mostly lecherous coaches, as well as corrupt managers, and operating in a highly unstable political situation, the Afghan national women’s soccer team’s trajectory through war and draconian gender expectations makes for spellbinding reading here. All is not neatly tied up with a bow for Khalida and her peers by any means, (Think Kabul, in 2021.) but despite emigrations and defections, as well as all the aforementioned perils, Ms. Popal & Co. have set Afghan women athletes on an irreversible course towards world recognition and admiration, with hope aplenty for future generations of their countrywomen to use their God-given gifts to the fullest potential before too long. This is the stuff of heroes!
December 16, 2024
Written by the first captain of the Afghan women's national team. When we think of how far women have come in soccer, and how far we still have to go, we so often think of equal pay, growing attendance figures, etc. Incredibly important topics, to be sure, but it's easy to focus on the achievements and struggles and comparisons of the top teams — the USWNTs, the Lionesses, the Selección Española Femenina, and not the incredible trials women in some countries must endure to even get on the pitch, and the absolute courage they must have.
My Beautiful Sisters is devastating. Right now women in Afghanistan aren't even allowed to speak in public, let alone play football. But there's hope for women in sport in even the most oppressive countries, if not now then in future. And that hope is so much stronger thanks to women like Khalida.
From sharing the grassroots beginnings of the team to documenting the herculean effort of evacuating the most endangered players when Taliban rule returned, this heartbreaking yet inspiring memoir is gripping, powerful, and demonstrates the love and passion the author has for her sport, her team, and the country from which she is now a refugee.
My Beautiful Sisters is devastating. Right now women in Afghanistan aren't even allowed to speak in public, let alone play football. But there's hope for women in sport in even the most oppressive countries, if not now then in future. And that hope is so much stronger thanks to women like Khalida.
From sharing the grassroots beginnings of the team to documenting the herculean effort of evacuating the most endangered players when Taliban rule returned, this heartbreaking yet inspiring memoir is gripping, powerful, and demonstrates the love and passion the author has for her sport, her team, and the country from which she is now a refugee.
May 26, 2025
Thank you to Kensington for my #gifted advance copy. My thoughts are my own.
This was an incredibly human story, but also one that is super-human for all that was accomplished and won. Popal and her sisterhood on the Afghanistan women's soccer team and off it really were (and are) phenomenal. They overcame supreme obstacles not only by playing, but also by rescuing their fellow players from persecution and death under Taliban rule. We get the full arc of Popal's story, from when the Taliban took power and her family fled to Pakistan in 1996, to the US' abrupt departure and the return of Taliban rule in present day. I admire Popal for living and fighting to make the world what she envisions it could be, and in the process she and her team members were saved in more ways than one. She believes that she and women like her should have a voice, and her journey is harrowing, horrific, and inspiring in the cruel and beautiful world we live in.
And yay for an up-front trigger warning! And boy, does this book have All. The. Triggers. Pretty much all the ways that humans can and do hurt each other is in here. 'Cause it's a very real story.
This was an incredibly human story, but also one that is super-human for all that was accomplished and won. Popal and her sisterhood on the Afghanistan women's soccer team and off it really were (and are) phenomenal. They overcame supreme obstacles not only by playing, but also by rescuing their fellow players from persecution and death under Taliban rule. We get the full arc of Popal's story, from when the Taliban took power and her family fled to Pakistan in 1996, to the US' abrupt departure and the return of Taliban rule in present day. I admire Popal for living and fighting to make the world what she envisions it could be, and in the process she and her team members were saved in more ways than one. She believes that she and women like her should have a voice, and her journey is harrowing, horrific, and inspiring in the cruel and beautiful world we live in.
And yay for an up-front trigger warning! And boy, does this book have All. The. Triggers. Pretty much all the ways that humans can and do hurt each other is in here. 'Cause it's a very real story.
December 8, 2024
"My Beautiful Sisters: A Story of Courage, Hope and the Afghan Women's Football Team" is a memoir by Khalida Popal, the first captain and co-founder of the Afghan women's football team. The book focuses on the struggles faced by Afghan women, particularly in sports and societal constraints imposed by Taliban rule. Popal shares her experiences and the resilience of Afghan women athletes, emphasizing the importance of football as a symbol of empowerment and unity. The memoir serves as a personal account and a testament to the power of teamwork and the relentless pursuit of women's rights in a repressive society. The first-person perspective allows readers to deeply engage with Popal's emotional journey, detailing her fears, societal pressures, and constant threats. The book also features poignant anecdotes, such as the story of a teammate who took her own life due to familial pressures. Overall, "My Beautiful Sisters" is a powerful and evocative account that captures the spirit of Afghan women fighting for their rights, with football serving as a beacon of hope and resilience.
September 30, 2025
Wow this book was so eye opening. I finished it in 1 day. It’s a memoir by Khalida Popal who grew up in Afghanistan and started playing women’s soccer. Her family had to flee Afghanistan when the Taliban took over in 1996 but then returned to the country in 2001 after the Taliban were ousted by US troops. Khalida’s family allowed her to play soccer even when her community was hostile to her. Their support was amazing to read.
This memoirs chronicles how she created the Afghan National Women’s soccer team, championed money and rights for the team and displayed insane amounts of courage while doing it. I didn’t realize that even though the Taliban were gone for 10 years there was still so much hate and misogyny and sexism from men in her community in 2011.
The memoir also covers the Taliban takeover in 2021 and how Khalida and her connections work to get the Afghan women’s teams and players out of the country. Overall, this was an extremely inspiring read.
This memoirs chronicles how she created the Afghan National Women’s soccer team, championed money and rights for the team and displayed insane amounts of courage while doing it. I didn’t realize that even though the Taliban were gone for 10 years there was still so much hate and misogyny and sexism from men in her community in 2011.
The memoir also covers the Taliban takeover in 2021 and how Khalida and her connections work to get the Afghan women’s teams and players out of the country. Overall, this was an extremely inspiring read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2025
A must read for anyone who follows sport. A must read for anyone who claims an opinion on international politics and especially refugees. A must read for anyone interested in human rights, particularly women’s rights.
Heart-breaking and gut-wrenching. And it isn’t just in Afghanistan, these problems exist in the shadows across the western world as well.
FIFA as ever comes across as the corrupt, male dominated ego driven sewer that it became under Havelange and quickly got worse under Blatter and the little squit who currently uses it to collect personal wealth and power on the back of suffering, torture and death.
I suppose it has to sit on the sports shelves but it is one of a small number of sports books which transcend the genre. A truly remarkable book because it tells a truly remarkable, and very important, story.
Heart-breaking and gut-wrenching. And it isn’t just in Afghanistan, these problems exist in the shadows across the western world as well.
FIFA as ever comes across as the corrupt, male dominated ego driven sewer that it became under Havelange and quickly got worse under Blatter and the little squit who currently uses it to collect personal wealth and power on the back of suffering, torture and death.
I suppose it has to sit on the sports shelves but it is one of a small number of sports books which transcend the genre. A truly remarkable book because it tells a truly remarkable, and very important, story.
December 4, 2025
A fantastic memoir of how someone falls in love with a game that they are not allowed to play, fights for it and eventually wins. As with all books where football is involved the intersting stuff happens off the pitch and its not really about the game itself, more about establishing the game in the face of some serious opposition. Its a scary, powerful and honest account of the establishment of Female football in Afghanistan. Most of the men in this book are infuriating and both power mad and power hungry. Khalida Popal is a born leader, who the men who were running Afghanistan would learn a lot from if she was given a proper chance and not treated as an expendable can carrier. a great story, made all the better by the fact its a true story.
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