Afghanistan Women’s soccer team Director Khalida Popal said she has “unfortunately not” heard from U.S. women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe or any other players “who have been activists.”
“Have you heard from Megan Rapinoe the U.S. soccer player? Anybody reach out from that team to give you support or to offer more attention?” “Fox & Friends” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy asked Popal on Sunday.
“Unfortunately not. Not from the players. Not from the players who have been activists,” Popal said.
Popal, who was a founder of the Afghanistan Women’s National soccer Team, has been urging female soccer players to burn their jerseys and to get rid of their social media accounts out of fear of being targeted by the Taliban. (RELATED:‘Bully’: Megan Rapinoe’s Former Teammate Rips Her Over National Anthem Protests)
The women’s soccer team was founded “as standing against Taliban and standing against ideology that is against women,” she told Fox News. “We have called Taliban an ‘enemy of humanity’ in media numerous times.”
“So who do you need right now? Whose help do you need right now for this women’s soccer team?” Fox host Will Cain asked Popal.
“I need the world to stand with my players, with the women of Afghanistan. Some of our players are in great danger, and we have tried our best to get at least some sort of papers for them to leave,” Popal said. (RELATED: Pentagon Activates Civil Reserve Air Fleet To Aid In Afghanistan Evacuation)
She detailed how she has received calls of her players “crying how they have been beaten and how they have been stopped in different checkpoints.”
“I hear the gunfire there. It is scary. Their lives are in danger, and I want the world to stand with them,” Popal pleaded.