Farkhunda Muhtaj
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | November 15, 1997[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Pakistan[2] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Calgary Wild | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2019 | York Lions | 57 | (5) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2018 | Vaughan Azzurri | 18+ | (0) |
| 2019 | Durham United FA | 13 | (0) |
| 2021 | Vaughan Azzurri | 7 | (0) |
| 2022 | Fatih Vatan | 8 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Fortuna Sittard | 8 | (0) |
| 2025– | Calgary Wild | 0 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2016–2018 | Afghanistan | 6 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of October 25, 2024 | |||
Farkhunda Muhtaj (Dari: فرخنده محتاج; born November 15, 1997) is an Afghan footballer who plays as a midfielder for Calgary Wild FC of the Northern Super League. She was the captain of the Afghanistan national team and a key figure in the evacuation of the Afghanistan girls youth team from the country following the 2021 Taliban takeover.
During the Afghan Civil War, Muhtaj's family fled from Afghanistan and sought sanctuary in Pakistan, where they lived without valid papers, and that was where she was born.[2] Her family then moved to the Toronto, Ontario suburb of Scarborough in Canada in 2000, when she was two.[3][4]
University career
From 2015 to 2019, she attended York University, playing for the women's soccer team, serving as team captain in 2018 and 2019.[5][6] She scored her first goal on October 25, 2015, against Algoma University.[7] In 2018, she led the OUA with 11 assists.[8] In 2019, she was named an OUA West Division First-team All-Star for the first time as the Lions won the OUA championship.[8][9] In September 2020, she continued with the team as assistant coach.[5][10]
Club career
She began playing for Vaughan Azzurri in League1 Ontario in 2015.[11] She made six league appearances in 2016,[12] eight league appearances in 2017,[13] and four league appearances in 2018.[14]
In 2019, she began playing for Durham United FA making 13 league appearances.[15]
In 2021, she returned to Vaughan Azzurri, making seven league appearances.[16]
In 2021, following her work helping evacuate the Afghanistan youth girls team, she was invited to train with Portuguese club Benfica[17][18] and also met with Spanish club Barcelona, as well as speaking to the members of the Barcelona Academy.[10]
On March 3, 2022, she signed with Fatih Vatan S.K. of the Turkish Women's Football Super League.[19]
On July 30, 2022, she signed with Dutch club Fortuna Sittard, a new expansion side in the women's Eredivisie.[20]
In October 2024, she was announced as the first signing for Calgary Wild FC of the Northern Super League, ahead of the inaugural 2025 season.[21]
International career
In May 2016, Muhtaj attended an identification camp with the Afghanistan women's national football team.[22] She then subsequently began playing for the team that year,[23][24] eventually becoming team captain in 2018.[25][26] She scored a goal against India on December 27, 2016, at the 2016 SAFF Women's Championship.[27] In the summer of 2021, she spoke with the Afghanistan Football Federation about having the team compete in the FIFA Women's World Cup qualification for the first time, however, the 2021 Taliban offensive in Afghanistan put an end to that.[28][29]
At the 2023 Unity Euro Cup, Farkhunda served as an ambassador for the Dutch refugee football team and played for the Dutch team.[30][31]
Career statistics
Club
- As of August 4, 2024
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Domestic Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Vaughan Azzurri | 2015 | League1 Ontario | ? | ? | — | — | ? | ? | ? | ? | ||
| 2016[12] | 6 | 0 | — | — | ? | ? | 6 | 0 | ||||
| 2017[13] | 8 | 0 | — | — | ? | ? | 8 | 0 | ||||
| 2018[14] | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ? | ? | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| Durham United FA | 2019[15] | League1 Ontario | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| Vaughan Azzurri | 2021[16] | League1 Ontario | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Fatih Vatan S.K. | 2021–22[32] | Turkish Women's Football Super League | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| Fortuna Sittard | 2022-23[33] | Eredivisie | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2023-24[33] | 6 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |||
| Total | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 54 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 58 | 0 | ||
International
- As of match played December 1, 2018
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 2016 | 2 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 1 | |
International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 27 December 2016 | Kanchenjunga Stadium, Siliguri, India |  India | 1–4 | 1–5 | 2016 SAFF Women's Championship |
Operation Soccer Balls
Following the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in August 2021, women's rights were severely restricted, including the banning of female sports. Muhtaj, who lived in Canada and was the captain of the Afghanistan women's team, was part of a group that was formed to help a group of 80 people composed of the 26-member Afghan female youth team aged 14 to 16 and their families flee the country.[34][35] The Afghanistan Football Federation reached out to Muhtaj on August 14, who joined the girls' WhatsApp group to help co-ordinate the departure, serving as the only point of contact for the group.[36][37] The rescue mission, which was called Operation Soccer Balls, was coordinated through an international coalition of former U.S. military and intelligence officials, United States Senator Chris Coons, United States allies, and humanitarian groups, with her connection to the US personnel aided through her relationship with her former mentor and former Iranian player and coach Katayoun Khosrowyar.[38][39] The mission initially suffered multiple setbacks, including several failed rescue attempts and a suicide bombing carried out by Islamic State militants,[38] with the group having to go into hiding after being unable to leave before the August 31 deadline for safe passage out of the country had passed.[40][34] The group landed and was granted asylum in Portugal on September 19.[11] On September 29, she arrived in Portugal to meet the group.[35] She remained in Portugal with the team to help guide them.[41] A second evacuation flight bringing over other players and additional family members arrived in November.[42] In August 2023, WhatsApp released a film entitled We Are Ayenda on Amazon Prime, documenting the story.[43]