Leeds United hope to supply sanctuary to the Afghan girls’ football squad as a part of a humanitarian effort aimed toward helping the latter avoid persecution by the Taliban back home.

The Whites, alongside the charity Football for Peace and therefore the global venture firm ROKiT, have written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson in an effort to secure visas for his or her refugee effort.

The 32-player squad, complete with coaches and families, are currently in Pakistan on a short-term stay, but would face serious life restrictions in their home country should they return.

Football for Peace founder Kashif Siddiqi, a former Pakistan international, stated: “The race is on to seek out them a permanent shelter .”

Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani added his support, stating that the club were ready and waiting to “give the women a prosperous and peaceful future”.

The Whites say that each player within the 112-strong group has been offered an area on their youth development teams.

The livelihoods of girls and girls in Afghanistan are severely disrupted since the return of the Taliban to power over the past few months.

The movement, who previously controlled the country between 1996 and 2001 before the War in Afghanistan, ended a two-decade exodus following the withdrawal of foreign forces.

Their strict practice of a sort of shariah has placed restrictions upon female freedoms across the country, denying many education and leaving professional livelihoods at a minimum.

The bigger picture
Leeds’ humanitarian efforts come because the club looks to battle towards a primary top-flight win of the season following a dismal start to the new Premier League campaign.

Amid a maiden England cap for Patrick Bamford and success within the Carabao Cup, where they need reached the last-16, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have misfired elsewhere both home and away.

They will hope to earn their first scalp of the new term once they host David Moyes’ in-form West Ham at Elland Road on Saturday.