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Sportshour: 'Our Voices Will be Heard'

Discussion & Talk

'Our voices will be heard and justice will be served'

19/01/2019 GMT

'Our Voices Will be Heard'

BBC World Service - Sportshour, 'Our Voices Will be Heard'

Sexual abuse allegations in Afghanistan football are 'encouraging people to come forward'

It's a month since four women raised allegations of physical and sexual abuse within the Afghanistan women's football team. They claim the abuse took place at the federation’s headquarters and at a training camp in Jordan.

The head of Afghanistan football Keramuddin Keram, against whom specific allegations were made, has been suspended. He “vigorously rejects" what he calls "false accusations". Khalida Popal has been involved with the team as player, coach and administrator since she founded it 12 years ago - and started investigating allegations raised with her. Khalida tells Sportshour about the reaction to her speaking out and how that has encouraged more people to come forward.

Elsewhere, this week Egypt was named as the new host of this year's Africa Cup of Nations, after the original host Cameroon was stripped of the title. The Confederation of African Football, cited delays in the progress of Cameroon's preparation for the tournament as the reason for the re-allocation, but AFCON will go ahead in June. 

Egypt has only five months to prepare....so can it be a success?

From the African Cup of Nations to the Asian Cup and for the Yemen football team, it really is a miracle they're there at all. Football has ground to a halt in the country. The league is suspended and the infrastructure has all but collapsed. Stadiums have been reduced to rubble and clubs are disintegrating. 

This is all a direct consequence of war. The escalation of the conflict between the internationally-recognised Hadi (PRO: HARDY) government and Houthi rebels has engulfed Yemen in unspeakable torment. We hear what challenges the team's players face on a daily basis - with tales of some going off to fight and others being kidnapped.

And as one of Britain's greatest ever sportsmen announces his retirement this year, what legacy will former World Number One Andy Murray leave in tennis? We speak to Terry Mabbitt, who was the national coach of Scotland when Murray was coming through the ranks as a youngster. Mabbitt says Murray was the best six-year-old he had ever seen. 

Photo: Afghanistan women's football team (Getty Images)

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