Kabul: Around 100 women footballers were evacuated from Afghanistan to Doha on Thursday.
Qatar’s government worked with Fifa, football’s world governing body, to co-ordinate the rescue effort, according to a source close to the operation. The group is understood to have included 20 national players.
Fifa is trying to secure the evacuation of more footballers and their families from the country, which fell under Taliban rule in August.
Members of the women’s youth football team evacuated to Pakistan in September. Other members of the national side were granted asylum in Portugal.
Concerns were raised for the safety of women athletes after the Afghan government fell much faster than publicly anticipated by the United States in August, allowing the Taliban to take back control of Kabul after 20 years.