Back to football and to Argentina, a country known for its love of the sport. But a decision by a local youth league in the nation to ban girls from playing in boys' clubs has had a devastating affect on seven-year-old Candelaria Cabrera as she will be out of the Huracan de Chabas boys team next season. Mike Fox has the details.

The small town of Chabas in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, has a population of 7,000 people and is only 80-kilometres away from Rosario, Lionel Messi's hometown. But there's no youth football clubs for girls, so seven-year-old Candelaria was forced to join the Huracan de Chabas boys club as a leftback almost two years ago to pursue her passion for the sport. However last August, her family was notified that she cannot continue playing next year, as according to Casilda's League, mixed teams are now forbidden.

ROSANA NORIEGACANDELARIA'S MOTHER "I had to sit with her and tell her that there are some people who make laws in football and that there were some laws that didn't agree with what we wanted. Well, we both cried and she told me that they were bad people, 'the people who make the laws are bad'."

Candelaria is currently the only girl playing in the Casilda League, which is made up of 16 clubs. She was brought up listening to stories about Argentine football legends, many of whom, like Messi come from her region.

ROSANA NORIEGA CANDELARIA'S MOTHER "She just cannot wait to go training. She would never miss a training session, even if it's cold or if it's raining, she doesn't want to miss it. She prepares her clothes, her shin guards, so that nothing is missing, her bottle of water. When it comes to training, she does everything. So, we support her and we are trying to make her realise her dream and be happy."

Contrary to the Casilda League, Argentina's Football Association supports the practice of mixed football until the age of 10, but after that age, girls struggle to find a place to play as there are still no official youth leagues for females in the country.

RICARDO PINELAAFA HEAD OF FEMALE FOOTBALL COMMISSION "The important thing is that each club in each corner of the country allows girls to join a women's football team, so they are able to play among them, even for fun. We need to work towards making the whole structure for women's football equal to the men's in terms of organisation."

There are at least four more cases like Candelaria's reported in the Santa Fe province of Argentina alone.

ROSANA NORIEGA CANDELARIA'S MOTHER "We hope that this is the first step for millions of girls to come forward and say 'we want to play', and that someday there will be sports schools for girls and afterwards, there will be teams for girls to play on. Then this won't be so difficult anymore."

CANDELARIA CABRERASEVEN-YEAR-OLD FOOTBALL PLAYER "No one should say that a girl cannot play football."

Candelaria's case and others like hers makes it clear that regulations need to be changed for all girls across Argentina to be allowed to pursue their dreams in the beautiful game. Mike Fox, CGTN.