The former captain of the Afghanistan women’s football team, Khalida Popal, has urged players to delete social media, erase their public identities and burn their kits for safety’s sake after her country came under Taliban rule once again. Popal, who now lives in Copenhagen, said in a video interview on Wednesday that female footballers were scared of what the future may hold. ‘That is painful for me, for someone as an activist who stood up and did everything possible to achieve and earn that identity as a women’s national team player.’ she said. ‘To earn that badge on the chest, to have the right to play and represent our country, how much we were proud.’