Khursand Azizi

I began playing soccer in school, driven by a deep passion for the game. It quickly became a central part of my life. Each day, I would attend school just to play soccer for half an hour—education mattered, but soccer mattered even more. Eventually, I joined the school team and met Mona Amini, a girl who played for the national team. Recognizing my enthusiasm, she invited me to join her club. Unfortunately, I could only participate in the school team at that time. After discussing it with my family, they wholeheartedly supported my ambitions. Their encouragement, combined with my passion, fueled my journey. 

I joined Gulp Esteghlal and participated in a tournament to select players for the under-15 national team, where I was fortunate to be chosen. I traveled with both the under-17 and under-23 teams, playing 13 matches for the national squad. 

In 2021, when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, my world shattered. I feared I would never study or play soccer again. I spent sleepless nights crying, anxiously waiting for a chance to leave Kabul. Every knock on the door filled me with dread, knowing our love for soccer put us at risk. After two weeks, we received a lifeline through Khalida Popal, who helped us navigate our escape. I went to the airport with my family, but after two nights, I had to leave them behind to secure our passage. That was the hardest moment of my life—I slept with tears that night.

 After enduring chaos at the airport, we finally arrived in Australia, but many of us were separated from our families. The pain of leaving them in Afghanistan was overwhelming. Two years later, my family joined me in Melbourne, and we’ve built a wonderful life together. I now play for Melbourne Victory AWT. Soccer is everything to me; it gives me life and purpose.