By Dayo Awoniyi
FIFA has announced the launch of a groundbreaking women’s football competition, the FIFA Unites: Women’s Series, set to take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 23 to 29 October 2025.
The four-nation invitational will feature the Afghan women’s refugee team alongside the national sides of Chad, Libya and hosts UAE.
The event, to be played in a round-robin format, represents the first international tournament appearance for the Afghan refugee team, a project spearheaded by FIFA in response to the challenges faced by displaced athletes.
FIFA said the competition underscores its commitment to ensuring women and girls everywhere have access to football and the opportunity to pursue their sporting dreams.
“Ensuring that all women have access to football is a priority for FIFA and a key element in shaping the future of our sport,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
“These friendly matches represent more than just a competition; they are a symbol of hope and progress for women all over the world.”
The UAE team, coached by Dutch veteran Vera Pauw, will aim to continue their steady progress, while Chad and Libya are seeking to make their debuts in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Rankings.
The tournament will take place during the Women’s International Match Calendar Type II window. Each side will play three matches, with the team finishing top of the standings declared champion.
All matches will be streamed live worldwide on FIFA+.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
