As reported by Inside World Football, FIFA had previously said that the situation in Afghanistan "remains unstable and very worrying," and "we remain in contact with the Afghanistan Football Federation, and other stakeholders, and continue to receive updates from players in the country."

FIFPro echoed the plea for help, writing on Twitter on Friday (August 20): "Over the past few days, FIFPro has been liaising with Governments to establish an evacuation plan for athletes at risk.

"Central to this rescue effort, is the ambition to bring as many people to safety as possible."

In the report, former Afghanistan women’s team assistant coach Haley Carter was quoted as receiving a message from one player: "They are going to kill us.

"They don’t want girls to play football and we’re in risk."

The United States-based national team captain Shabnam Mobarez accused the Afghanistan Football Federation of leaving team members stranded in the country "helpless."

However in a statement released today, FIFPro said "a large number of women footballers and athletes from Afghanistan" had been evacuated by the Australian Government.

It added: "These young women, both as athletes and activists, have been in a position of danger and on behalf of their peers around the world we thank the international community for coming to their aid.

"We would like to pay tribute to the tireless, round-the-clock work of many people including Khalida Popal [former Afghanistan national team captain], Kelly Lindsey [former team coach], Nikki Dryden, Alison Battisson, Haley Carter and Craig Foster in helping them to secure safe passage out of Afghanistan.

"There remains much work to do to support and settle these young women and we urge the international community to make sure that they receive all the help they need.

"There are also many athletes still at risk in Afghanistan and every effort should be made to offer them support."

Popal said that today’s development was huge for Afghanistan’s women footballers, but cautioned that there was still work to be done.

"The last few days have been extremely stressful but today we have achieved an important victory," she said.

"The women footballers have been brave and strong in a moment of crisis and we hope they will have a better life outside Afghanistan.

"But there is still much more work to do.

"Women's football is a family and we must make sure everyone is safe."

FIFPro general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann also said that today’s news was a positive step.

"We are relieved that this group of footballers and athletes have been able to leave Afghanistan today," he said.

"It has been an incredibly complex process for everyone involved to secure their evacuation.

"Our hearts go out to all the others who remain stranded in the country against their will."

The Taliban has swept back to power in Afghanistan, having been removed from power in 2001.

The Islamist group believes in Sharia law and vigorously restricts the freedoms of women.

It views women’s sport as un-Islamic, and despite the Taliban’s claims that it will respect’s women’s rights "within the framework of Islam", doubts remain internationally.

Female employees in some areas have been told not to return to their jobs, while in others women must wear a burqa if they leave home, and must be accompanied by a male guardian.

Kabul’s airport has been closed to commercial flights, but coverage has shown thousands desperately attempting to flee Afghanistan.

Some people have lost their lives after falling as they attempted to cling to aircraft after take-off, including Zaki Anwari, who played for Afghanistan’s men’s national youth football team.

At a media conference today, a Taliban spokesman said Afghan nationals should not travel to the airport, and an August 31 deadline for foreign evacuations remained in place.