Four years after players from the Afghanistan women's national team fled their homeland amid the Taliban's takeover, a number of the teammates are representing their country again in a soccer tournament. Only this time as refugees.

The tournament represents a first major step in the fight to be officially recognized as a national team on the global stage. Collectively they call themselves Afghan Women United.

“It's really exciting to see each other, hug each other and finally share and play together," said captain Fatima Haidari, who lives in Italy. "As an athlete I say, you will face challenges and difficulties in your life, but you always can overcome and never give up. Never give up." Kicking off

FIFA, soccer's international governing body, is staging a four-team friendly tournament

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