Afghan-Canadian professional footballer and refugee activist Farkhunda Muhtaj was welcomed by Calgary’s first professional women’s football club Wild FC on Oct. 25, as their first-ever player signed to the team.

Muhtaj came to the team with a history of playing as the captain of the Afghan Women’s National Team Captain. She’s also played for Turkish club Fatih Vatan SK in Istanbul, and Dutch club Fortuna Sittard in Sittard-Geleen.

The announcement came just days after Wild FC announced their first CEO and CFO/COO leadership team.

“Being the first player named to the Calgary Wild is an incredible honour. This club symbolizes the start of something special in Calgary, and Canada for women’s soccer as both a player and community ambassador,” said Muhtaj.

“Having a professional women’s league in Canada is a dream come true for so many Canadians, including myself. As an Afghan immigrant and the daughter of former refugees, this is an opportunity to prove that dreams are available, no matter where you come from or what obstacles you may face.”

She said the move to Wild FC was kept pretty secret ahead of the announcement. Even her teammates in Europe didn’t know why she didn’t resign with Fortuna Sittard.

The opportunity to come to Calgary to be a part of the first women’s soccer league in Canada, and at a women-led club, was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up, she said.

“It’s really incredible women that are behind this project, that reinforces and are a testament to the great work that’s been done so far.”

A dual graduate with a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Education, Muhtaj said that she had to choose between being a classroom educator and pursuing a professional sporting career. It’s a choice she made to chase her lifelong dream and to make a bigger impact.

Among those was the rescue of the Afghan girls youth team in 2021.

“When I graduated from university, unfortunately, the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan, and so as the captain of the national team, I helped evacuate the Afghan international team players, staff members and their family members to Portugal,” Muhtaj said.

“The whole evacuation was actually orchestrated through WhatsApp. So we were sending pins to them and trying to tell them where to go, where to be, sending voice notes and voice memos and messages.”

That entire rescue was documented in the film We Are Ayenda, which is available on Amazon Prime.

Muhtaj was also the founder of the non-profit Scarborough Simbas, which helps refugees settle as newcomers to Canada through sport. She also founded the Ayenda FC, the unofficial Afghan Youth National Football Team.

Her efforts have been recognized by multiple organizations worldwide including the United Nations, York University, FC Barcelona, and WomenforWomen International.

She will first take to the pitch as a midfielder for Wild FC in April of 2025.

Wild FC attracts new members for ownership group

Born and raised Calgarian Josh Morrissey, who currently serves as an assistant captain for the Winnipeg Jets, along with his wife Margot were also announced on Friday to have joined the Wild FC ownership group.

Morrissey said that he was presented with the opportunity to join the ownership group in the summer.

“For me, it’s thrilling to be joining a special group of people bringing professional women’s soccer to Calgary. Growing up here in Calgary as a young hockey player, I was fortunate to have an NHL team and NHL players to look up to in my city. Watching my idols like Jarome Iginla play, inspired me to chase my dream of playing in the NHL,” he said.

“Now, with Wild FC coming to Calgary, young women will have the opportunity to look up to the professional women’s team playing at the highest level, and look up to incredible athletes and idols like far to help inspire them.”

He said the team, and the league, would be a game-changer for women’s sport in Canada.

“I feel like it’s about time we have a league here in Canada. Considering the success we’ve had, Canadian women have had on a national and international level, it’s just really thrilling to be a part of it,” Morrissey said.

He said that Calgary was where he and his wife spent their time in the off-season from the NHL. He’s excited to see sports from a different angle as a team owner.

“I think sport for both of us has been meaningful, very impactful. Whether or not I ended up making it to the NHL, so much of sport for me was inspired me to do better in school. I think it gave me opportunities, friendships, and opportunities to stay on the right path,” Morrissey said.

“My wife being involved in figure skating her whole life, both of us saw the power of sport. Both of us have just been big sports fans. We always have sports on in the house. Probably more hockey than Margot would like at times, but now we’ll have some football on more often, so that’ll be a good thing.”

For more details about the Wild FC, see www.calgarywildfc.com.