How I fell in love with football – and the Taliban couldn’t stop me

In an extract from her autobiography, the founder of Afghanistan women’s team explains how she overcame violence to build a fledgling network of girls’ teams

Players of Afghanistan national women football team. Pic: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images

In 2003, the Taliban had been removed from power in Afghanistan for two years, but their influence and ideology still ran deeply through society.

“Whores,” the man hissed.