On 20th and 21st April, the second round of football matches under the name of the Solidarity Cup 2019 were played. 24 teams of Afghan footballers participated in the games. They were represented by the Embassy of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Berlin and Abdul Baset Karimi, responsible for cultural and economic affairs and Alam Gul Sahar, responsible for cultural affairs, were present from the opening ceremony until the end of the tournament.

In the end, the team IFC Mohajer received recognition as the Champion of the Tournament and IFC Bakhtar as the Second Champion. Milad Sahibzadeh from the Shahid Ahmad Shah Massoud team was chosen as the Best Player and Ali Reza Gholami from IFC Bakhtar as the Best Goalkeeper. They were both greatly commended.

However, it is not only men that play football in Berlin, as Discover Football, a one-week long international women’s football tournament, also takes place in the city. Discover Football is a part of an intercultural week aimed at women and its purpose is to connect women, football and culture. The teams are not professional teams, but rather teams from different parts of the world that represent their countries. Some of the teams encounter social resistance in their home countries, as it isn’t necessarily seen as appropriate for women to play football or other kind of sports.

Discover Football aims to challenge gender roles, enable intercultural exchange and campaign against inequality. This year it will take place from 29.7. until the 4.8.2019.

• - https://www.facebook.com/AfghanistanInDE/posts/1357046197769164
• - https://www.dw.com/de/fu%C3%9Fballerinnen-aus-afghanistan-beim-internationalem-turnier-in-berlin/av-5813321
• - http://www.discoverfootball.de/en/home/about-us/
• - https://www.uscpublicdiplomacy.org/story/strengths-and-limitations-soccer-diplomacy