All Whites star Marco Rojas has made a A$20,000 donation to help close a funding gap in women's football at his old Melbourne Victory outfit - including support for the exiled Afghan national team.
Assisted by former Socceroo and human rights activist Craig Foster, the Afghanistan women fled their native land, after the Taliban takeover in 2021, and are now based in Melbourne.
Since their relocation, the team have won promotion within the Victoria competition, where they currently sit unbeaten atop the State League 3 East table.
"That was a really special thing to see that our club had got alongside Craig Foster," Rojas told the KEEPUP website. "I believe he was the initiator of the conversations, perhaps, amongst the federation and the clubs, but it's really special that the our club took it on.
"I was really proud to be a Victory player at that time in regards to taking on the women's team. I was only there for the beginning, but it was really encouraging, and I was really excited and proud to be a part of the club."
Rojas, 31, has spent three separate stints at Melbourne Victory since 2011, accumulating more than 100 appearances, but is currently playing for Colo-Colo in Chile, the native country of his father.
He last took the field for New Zealand against China in March.
His donation will also help the club's elite women's team, who have won three A-League titles over the past decade.
"Having been in football for a little while, I noticed that there were quite a lot of gaps between what's offered in the elite men's space and the women's… but in the men's space and women's space in general," he said.
"I was in a privileged position to help and I wanted to help the team, so they could have things that perhaps they were missing that could help them during the season and during pre-season.
"I hope that this donation and this support would help them close those gaps in the functions that no-one really sees, like the little things that are behind the scenes, that support the team the most or support the coaching staff, or whatever it is.
"I still feel like there's a lot that that can be done and I really hope that it continues to be [done]."
