‘We play for the people’: Why one Young Socceroo is choosing to play for Afghanistan

For the past two years, Rahmat Akbari juggled with one of the more difficult decisions a talented young footballer can face. Just before the outbreak of COVID-19, the Brisbane Roar forward was approached by the Afghanistan football federation to represent his country of birth.

Already, the 21-year-old had played 15 games for Australia’s youth teams, established himself as a regular in the A-League and had every reason to think he could become a Socceroo one day. However, when he watched in horror as the Taliban stormed the capital last year, he was jolted into switching allegiances to Afghanistan and join a national team living in exile.

Former Young Socceroo Rahmat Akbari has accepted a call-up from AfghanistanCredit:Rhett Hammerton

Just as the women’s national team was rushed away to safety in Australia and Afghan athletes of many other sports fled after the fall of Kabul on August 15, Afghanistan’s football federation similarly sought refuge elsewhere. The national team’s coach, Anoush Dastgir, returned to the Netherlands. Male players left for safer lands and the league was brought to a standstill. No player from the national team resides in Afghanistan today.

For much of the global Afghan diaspora, the team is now seen as a resistance to the Taliban takeover. Unable to step foot on home turf, they’re still proceeding with plans to qualify for a first-ever Asian Cup. For players like Akbari, that resilience motivated him to represent the Lions of Khorasan.

“We won’t play for the actual Taliban government. We play for the Afghan people back home who are not in the best situation and other Afghan communities in the world,” Akbari said. “I don’t think anyone in the Afghan Football Federation has a relationship [with the Taliban]. If they did, a lot of the players wouldn’t play for them because of that. We are against the Taliban.”

Last month, Akbari travelled to Antalya in Turkey for a training camp and games against the under-23 teams of Kuwait and Jordan where he made his debut in the ‘B’ internationals. He was joined by fellow Afghan-Australian, Zelfy Nazary, who plays for St Albans in the NPL Victoria. The 27-year-old midfielder has already made five appearances for Afghanistan. This camp was his first since his homeland was rocked by the collapse of the Republic government last year.

Rahmat Akbari (right) prepares to train with his younger brother Matteen before joining the Afghan national team. Credit:Rhett Hammerton

“It is a really important camp because of the things the people are going through day in, day out in Afghanistan,” Nazary said.

His debut gave him a first-hand experience of the importance of football in his country of birth. More than 12,000 packed the Ghazi Stadium in Kabul for a goalless draw with Palestine in 2018 with fans staying for hours after the match, singing, chanting and sounding horns. “It was one of the moments I will cherish for the rest of my life,” he said.

Gripped with the prospect of never experiencing that atmosphere in Afghanistan again, there’s a sombre tone in his voice as talks about the camp and friendlies. “One of the only things they get joy and happiness from is football,” he said.

Zelfy Nazary in action for Afghanistan. Credit:Instagram

However, he quickly snaps into a sense of duty knowing there could be hundreds of thousands following the team’s progress from afar.

“To give them a smile for a few hours, it means everything. We all play for the people and for the country,” Nazary said.

That social responsibly is part of the reason Akbari opted to start his senior international career with Afghanistan. When news of his acceptance of a national team call-up made waves throughout his community, Akbari was bombarded with texts of support.

“The messages I have been getting every day for the past two or three days have been overwhelming,” he said.

Not only did he join a team representing much of the resilience of Afghanistan, but one entirely comprised of the passionate diaspora.

“There are a lot of good players who have dual citizenship like me,” Akbari said. “If all of them choose Afghanistan then I think we will have a really good team. The qualifiers are coming up for the Asian Cup in June. I think we will have a really good chance.”

That would be an achievement in itself for any burgeoning football country. For Afghanistan any success is steeped in the joy it will give to those back home.

“I am just excited to go, put the jersey on. I just want to give something back to those people,” Akbari said.

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