Afghanistan Matches will Be Aired Live

All 3 matches of the Lions of Khurasan will be live broadcasted on Tolo and Lemar TV of Afghanistan. Aghazada, the Secretary General of AFF confirmed this news on Tolo TV.

In last Challenge Cup hosted by Nepal, Afghan football fans were deprived of watching their national heroes on TV.

Challenge Cup Opponents Involved in Friendlies

Afghanistan, Laos and Sri Lanka, 3 out of 4 contenders in Group C of AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers, played friendly matches in preparation for AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers on Feb 25 and 26.

Afghanistan played Etihad Fishwar, an Iranian club based in Dubai on Feb 25. Belal Arezou scored from the spot to give Afghanistan a 1-0 win. Afghanistan media reported Etihad Fishwar used a number of Arab players in its squad against Afghanistan. Afghanistan team had defeated this team 6-1 in late January.

Laos played a 3-3 draw with Malaysia U23 in Laos capital. This was the last friendly match of Laos ahead of Group C qualifiers that are going to be hosted by Laos. Laos team had played two Thai teams and North Korea as well.

Sri Lanka also traveled to Thailand for a week long training where it has played one friendly match against Osotspa so far. The scoreline was not in favor of Sri Lanka as it was defeated 3-1 by this Thai club. Sri Lanka scored in the latest minutes of the match from the spot.

Afghanistan is flying to Bangkok and then to Laos tonight.

Sri Lanka Announces Squad, Training Camp

 
Sri Lanka has announced its squad for AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers. Sri Lanka is grouped with Afghanistan, Laos and Mongolia. Most of the players are under age of 23 and this means Afghanistan is going to play a Sri Lankan team with a new face.

Football Federation of Sri Lanka has arranged a training camp in Thailand where Sri Lanka team will play two friendly matches from 22nd to 27th February, 2013. They will proceed to Laos on 28th February, 2013 to participate in the qualifiers.

Chathura Gunaratne has been named to captain the team for this tour.

Players

Nos.	Name	Jersey No.	Date of Birth	Position
1	D. Dasun Paranavithana	1	10/01/1991	Goalkeeper
2	H. Peter Chales	2	15/12/1991	Defence
3	Sanka Danushka Wijesiri	3	28/12/1984	Defence
4	R. A. A. Nalaka	4	31/03/1989	Midfield
5	M. M. Mohamed Sameer	5	05/04/1991	Defence
6	M. K. Mohamed Hakeem	6	25/09/1992	Defence
7	Malik Migara	7	25/10/1989	Forward
8	Dharshaka Chandrarathna	8	14/06/1993	Midfield
9	Kavindu Ishan	9	17/10/1992	Forward/Mid Filed
10	W. Chathura Gunarathna (Captain)	10	08/09/1982	Midfield
11	Nipuna Davinda Bandara	11	17/06/1991	Forward
12	E. A. Chathuranga Sanjeewa	13	06/07/1991	Forward/Midfield
13	Sachith Aloka De Silva	15	05/06/1990	Forward/Midfield
14	A. L. Mohamed Aleem	16	10/08/1991	Midfield
15	Thilina Suranda Bandara (V. Captain)	17	16/08/1985	Defence
16	Chameera Sajith Kumara	18	29/01/1993	Midfield
17	M. F. Mohomed Shufhan	19	08/04/1992	Midfield
18	D. Madushan De Silva	20	16/11/1993	Midfield
19	M. Chalana Chameera	21	10/01/1993	Forward/Midfield
20	Mohamed Waseem	22	11/10/1991	Goalkeeper
21	A.W.A.Tharindu Eranga	23	30/05/1991	Defence
22	Charitha Bandara Rathnayake	24	26/12/1992	Defence
23	Sujan Perera	25	18/07/1992	Goalkeeper

Afghanistan to Play a Friendly

Afghanistan is going to play a friendly match next Monday in Dubai. The name of the opponent is not revealed yet. However, the national players are told this is an Iranian club.

Details to follow ........

Afghanistan Squad for AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier Announced

The 23 member squad of Afghanistan for AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers was announced officially yesterday. As stated in my previous posts, 9 players who play in Afghanistan and 14 players who are playing outside Afghanistan are invited to the team.

Goalkeeper
Hamidullah Yousefzai – Foroozi Afghanistan
Abdul Qayum Sapond – De Maiwand Atalan Afghanistan
Mansur Faqiryar – VFB Oldenberg Germany
Defence
Ali Yarzada – Toofan Harirood Afghanistan
Muqadar Qazizaza – Shaheen Asmayee Afghanistan
Djelaludin Sharityar – Al Hidd Bahrain
Faisal Sakhizada – Dandenong Thunder Australia
Islam Amiri – Mumbai FC India
Midfield
Rafi Barekzai – Toofan Harirood Afghanistan
Waheed Nadeem – Toofan Harirood Afghanistan
Idris Mashriqi – USA
Yusef Mashriqi – Bhawanipore FC India
Harez Habib – BC Sport Kasel Germany
Salim Kohistani – Vejle boldklub Kolding II Denmark
Arash Hatifie – USA
Mustafa Azadzoy – VFB Oldenberg Germany

Fardin Shinwari – USA
Forward
Amrudin Sharifi – Esteghlal Kabul Afghanistan
Munirulhaq Nadim– Simorgh Alborz Afghanistan
Belal Arezou – Churchill Brothers SC India
Sandjar Ahmadi – SC Vier- und Marschlande Germany
Mustafa Hadid – Altona 93 Germany
Hamid Karimi – Toofan Harirood Afghanistan

Laos to Play a Friendly with Malaysia U23

Laos to play Malaysia U23 in a friendly match on February 26 in Laos. The match is part of the preparation for the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers Group C. Group C consists of Laos as the host, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Mongolia.

Laos has played 3 matches against Thai clubs and North Korea and the match against Malaysia will further strengthen its squad for the Challenge Cup.

Opportuntiy to Make a Record in FIFA Ranking for Afghanistan

Afghanistan has the best chance to climb to its highest best position in FIFA World Ranking, if it wins all its 3 matches in the upcoming AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers. Afghanistan is grouped with host Laos, Sri Lanka and Mongolia and victories over these opponents will increase the points of Afghanistan National Team from 39 to 233.

With these points, Afghanistan can jump to 133 in the world ranking which would be a record for Afghanistan. Afghanistan reached its highest place, 162, in FIFA ranking in May 2011 and since then it has been declining since no friendly match has been organized.

If Afghanistan lose all its 3 matches, it will keep its 39 points with a possible 1 step decline to 190.

Given this scenario, much is at stake for Afghanistan in this qualifier. Not only Afghanistan can qualify for the final stage of AFC Challenge Cup for the second time in history, it can also improve its ranking at the global ranking.

Afghan Probable Squad in the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers

Based on my information, the following players are making the 23 member squad of Afghanistan for the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers to be held in Laos between 2 -4 March. The team is leaving to Dubai today for a 6 day training and then will fly to Laos on February 27.

Goal Keepers:

1. Hamidullah Yousefzai (Foroozi Kabul)
2. Mansur Faqiryar, (Germany)
3. Abdul Qayum Sapand (Afghanistan)

Defence:

4. Islam Amiri (Mumbai FC, India)
5. Faisal Sakhizada (Safa) (Dandenong Thunder, Australia)
6. Moqadar Qazizada (Foroozi, Afghanistan)
7. Ali Ahmad Yarzada (Toofan Harirood, Afghanistan)
8. Djalaludin Sharityar (Al Had, Bahrain)

Midfield:

9. Wahid Nadim (Toofan Harirood, Afghanistan)
10. Yousef Mashriqi, (Bowahnipar FC, India)
11. Edris Mashriqi, (USA)
12. Rafi Barekzay (Toofan Harirood, Afghanistan)
13. Fardin Shaiwani (USA)
14. Salim Kohistani (Denmark)
15. Arash Hatifi (USA)
16. Zainuddin Sharifi (Estiqlal Kabul, Afghanistan)

Attack:

17. Balal Arezou, (Churchill Brothers, India)
18. Hamidullah Karimi (Toofan Harirood, Afghanistan)
19. Sandjar Ahmadi (SC Vier- und Marschlande, Germany)
20. Mustafa Hadid (Altona 93, Germany)
21. Mustafa Azadzoy (VFB Oldenberg, Germany)
22. Munirul Haq Nadim (Simorgh Alborz, Afghanistan)
23. Amrudin Sharifi (Estiqlal Kabul, Afghanistan)

Mashriqi Becomes the 4th Afghan to Join I-League

Yusef Mashriqi joins Bhowanipar FC for the I-League 2nd Division campaign. He is awaiting his international clearance and is due to arrive in Kolkata on Tuesday to commence training with his teammates. Bhowanipar FC was established in 1910, but was accepted in Division 2 of the I-League in 2012. They have finished 6 in their 7 member group and failed to promote to the I-League.

Mashriqi is the international midfielder for Afghanistan and appeared in 12 matches for Afghanistan. He has played for the NY Red Bulls Academy and some other Afghan teams in US. In addition, he was in talks with Bunyodkar of Uzbekistan, but failed to reach in agreement with them last year. 

Mashriqi is the 4th Afghan player that chooses to play football in India. Islam Amiri, Belal Arezou and Mujtaba Faiz are playing in the I-league.

Afghanistan to Begin 2nd Camp in Dubai

The second preparatory camp for the National Football Team of Afghanistan will be held in Dubai between February 20 to 27. The 23 Afghanistan and abroad based players who made it to the final squad of the Lions of Khurasan will attend this camp.

AFF is trying to organize two friendly matches with UAE based clubs, but the matches are not confirmed yet. On Feb 27, the national team leaves to Laos where it will participate in the Group C of AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers. Afghanistan is grouped with Sri Lanka, Mongolia and Laos and will play them on March 2, 4 and 6 respectively.

Afghanistan Drops 3 Places in FIFA World Ranking

Afghanistan dropped 3 places in FIFA ranking this month. Keeping its previous 39 points, Afghanistan stands at 189 place. In Asia, Afghanistan is at 42 out of 46 AFC members. Similarly, it stands at 5 ahead of Sri Lanka and Bhutan in South Asia.

Two of contenders of Afghanistan in Group C of AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers. Laos is at 173, Mongolia at 181 and Sri Lanka at 193.

Afghanistan Premier to Undergo with Some Changes in 2nd Season

The Premier League in Afghanistan will witness a little bit of changes next season. In the inaugural season, players of the 8 teams were selected by 3 coaches from the Afghanistan Football Federation. 3 members of each team were selected by the audience through SMS. The teams were divided into 2 groups of 4 teams. The top two teams from each group advanced to the semi-final match and the winners of the semi-finals fought over the title.

This season, however, there would be some changes:

1. AFF is doing its best to turn the league into a home/away system. However, all matches will be played in one stadium.
2. Each team will have only 18 players compared to last year's 21.
3. There would be regional qualifiers to the league. Each province would have a team to play in the regional qualifiers, however, each team can recruit players from other provinces. The winner of each 8 regional qualifier (Kabul would have its own qualifier) will be promoted to the main league.
4. The league will begin in mid-August and will last for more than two months.

Balal Arezoo Joins Churchil Brothers of I-League

Only a week after a former Afghan international joined Air India in Indian Premier League, Afghanistan's finest striker, Belal Arezoo, joined the leaders of the I-League table. Belal is transferred to Churchil Brothers from Asker FC of Norway based on a 4 month loan contract.

There has been talks of Belal playing in the I-league and teams like Mumbai FC and Sikkim had offered him contracts which were rejected by Belal. He attracted the attention of I-League teams after he went to the Finals of both South Asian Games and SAFF Games with Afghanistan-being the top scorer for Afghanistan.

In addition to Belal Arezoo and Mujtaba Faiz, Islam Amiri is another Afghan international who joined Mumbai FC of I-League two years ago.

Laos in a Goalless Draw with North Korea

In a friendly match on Feb 6, Laos drew North Korea with a goalless draw. In contrast to FIFA website, the website of Laos Football Federation says Laos lost the match 0-1. Even with the defeat, Laos made its voice heard.

Laos defeated Buriram United of Thailand, but went down to a division one club of Thailand last week. This means the team is making good preparation and they want to top the Group C, the group they are going to host between March 2 to 6.

The other group members, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Mongolia did not play friendly matches on February 6 which is a FIFA day for friendly matches.

Laos to Play North Korea in a Friendly

As part of their preparations for the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier, Laos is going to play North Korea. The match will be played at Tuodong Sport Center Stadium, Kunming, China.

Laos also played Buriram United of Thailand a won the match 1-0 on January 30. Laos is grouped with Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Mongolia in Group C. Group C matches will be played on March 2, 4 and 6 in the capital of Laos.

Laos Defeats Buriram United of Thailand

Laos National Football Team registered a 1-0 win over Buriram United of Thailand. Buriram United FC is the winner of Thailand FA Cup 2012 and qualified to play in AFC champion league 2013. Laos's goal came as a result of a free kick at minute 80.

Laos has been preparing itself for the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers where it is hosting Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Mongolia in Group C from 2-6 March.

Afghanistan Wins a Lowly Friendly

In preparation for AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers, Afghanistan National Team played a friendly match with Etihad Fishwar, an Iranian club in Dubai today. Afghanistan won the match 6-1.

Amruddin Sharifi and Arash Hatifi scored a brace each, while Munirulhaq Nadim and Mustafa Azadzoy added two more goals for Afghanistan. 

The Iranian club is a local club consisting of Iranian footballers in Dubai and has previously played with the National Youth Team of Iran and with some other clubs from Iran, UAE and other countries.

Yousef Kargar, the coach of Afghanistan team, told such matches would help his team assess its abilities before the match.  

Afghanistan is having a practice camp in Dubai after which  23 players will make it to the final squad for Laos qualifying games. 

Picture: National Team Practice Camp in Dubai

Faiz Joins Air India

Mujtaba Faiz became the second Afghan player to play in the I-League of India. Islam Amiri has joined Mumbai FC two years ago and now he is the captain of the team. Faiz's recruitment is pending to medical check-up.

24 year old Faiz has played for Afghanistan on 3 occasions, but usually he has been a bench player.While he played for Foroozi, he also joined Shaheen Asmayee in the inaugural Afghan Premier League in 2012.

Air India is in a difficult position with 15 points out of 15 matches at 11th position, 2 clear of the relegation zone.

Provincial Leagues in Full Swing in Herat

Herat Hazfi Cup:

Istiqlal Moaref defeats Etehad Ghoryan in penalty shoutouts 4-3 to reach the next round.

Youth Leagues:

In under 19 league, Maiwand passed Pamir with 3 goals, while Etifaq and Payam Asia reached to a goalless draw.

In under 16 league, Ariana made it 2-0 against Black Water and Maiwand defeated Piroozi with the same scoreline. 

Afghanistan Finishes at 11th in the Qualifier

 After Saudi Arabia failed to come to the match on the 11th place play-off match, Afghanistan was awarded a 3-0 score and thus secured 11th place in the tournament. It was Afghanistan's second victory after its victory in the opener against host Qatar.

Iran, Japan and UAE made it to the Beach Soccer World Cup in Tahiti.

Afghanistan Registers Yet Another Defeat

Afghanistan lost the change to fight for 9th place in Beach Soccer World Cup Qualifier after it was beaten by Bahrain 2-5. Baran and captain Mohammadi scored for Afghanistan. Mohammadi has scored 8 goals so far in the tournament and he is one of the favorites to win the Best Scorer Award if he scores for Afghanistan later today.

The defeat means Afghanistan should play Saudi Arabia in the fight for 11th place at  4:45 pm (Kabul time) today.

Australia Defeats Afghanistan in Beach Soccer Qualifier

Afghanistan's hope of reaching the Beach Soccer World Cup was dashed today after they were beaten 6-4 by Australia. Afghan captain, Sami Mohammadi scored a hat trick and Mahmood Azad scored from the spot for Afghanistan.

The defeat means Afghanistan collected only 3 points in the group stage and finished behind Australia and Oman in Group A. Qatar was defeated in all its 3 matches.

Afghanistan is still to play two matches for 9-12 places play-offs. The matches will take place tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Afghanistan will face off Bahrain tomorrow at 4:45 Kabul time. If Afghanistan win, it will face the winner of Saudi Arabia-Iraq for the 9 place decider on Saturday.

Japan, Iran, Austraia and UAE booked the semi-final births. This means one of them will miss out the World Cup, since Asia has only 3 spots.

Afghanistan Suffers a Heavy Defeat in Hands of Oman

Afghanistan suffered a heavy defeat in the hands of Oman in its second match in the Beach Soccer World Cup Qualifier. Oman scored a brace in the first round, adding 3 and 2 more goals in the second and third rounds respectively.

The match was not covered live by any TV channels. The AFF officials complain about the bias of the referee, however, no other source pointed out to this issue. Oman finished runners-up in the previous qualifier.

Afghanistan is going to meet Australia in its final group match tomorrow.

Afghanistan: First Day of Practic Camp in Dubai

Afghanistan Starts Beach World Cup Qualifier in Style

Afghanistan started its campaign in the Beach Soccer World Cup Qualifier (Asia) in style be beating the host country, Qatar. While Afghanistan started the match with cautious and received the first goal, it went on collecting all 3 points beating Qatar 7-3. Sami Mohammadi scored 5 times and Ali Raza Yaqoubi scored twice for Afghanistan, while the Afghan keeper showed heroic skills in defending Afghanistan's net.

It was a full of events match as one of Qatari players received two yellow cards and was sent off from the pitch after the second interval. The referee had also a controversial decision after he reversed his decision of giving a yellow card to a Qatari player and a penalty kick to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is in Group A along with host Qatar, Oman and Australia. Afghanistan is playing Oman today (4:45 Kabul time) while Australia is playing Qatar (9:45 Kabul time).

Only one team from each group will qualify for the semi-final.

Live Broacast of Afghanistan v. Qatar (Beach Soccer World Cup Qualifier)

Afghanistan's 3 Sport channel is broadcasting live the matches of group A of AFC Beach Soccer World Cup Qualifier. Afghanistan, Oman, Australia and host Qatar are featuring in this group.Tamadon TV is also going to broadcast tonight's match.

Afghanistan v. Qatar: Tonight at 9:45 Kabul time

Live Stream:  http://www.ustream.tv/BeachSoccerWorldWide?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Challenge Cup Qualifier Preparation to Start in Dubai Tomorrow

Afghanistan Football Team is beginning its practice camp ahead of the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers in Dubai tomorrow. 35 players are invited to join the camp where 23 will be selected for the final squad which would fight with Laos, Mongolia and Sri Lanka early March over a spot in the final tournament to be held in April 2014 in the Maldives.

Kargar has invited 14 players from inside the country most of whom features in the inaugural Premier League of Afghanistan and 21 Afghan players who are playing Asian, European or American countries.After this initial 10 day camp, AFF will hold another 10 day camp in Dubai in late February for the final squad. There are rumors Afghanistan might play UAE senior or youth teams as well.

Afghanistan to Meet Qatar in Beach Soccer Today

The National Beach Soccer of Afghanistan reached Doha yesterday where it will compete in the Asian Qualifier for Beach Soccer World Cup 2013. Afghanistan will start its campaign tomorrow against host Qatar late at night (9:45 pm Kabul time).

Afghanistan will meet Oman at 4:45 pm (Kabul time)on January 23 and Australia on its last group encounter at 6:00 pm (Kabul time).

Jersey: Afghanistan National Beach Soccer Team

Afghanistan and Bahrain Look for Ties in Football

The Secretary General of Afghanistan Football Federation will leave for Bahrain tomorrow to discuss issues related to football. The trip is taking place at the request of Bahrain's football officials.

In recent years, a number of Arab countries are helping Afghanistan in different sports. UAE, for example, has supported Afghanistan when it allowed Afghanistan to hold its practice camps in Dubai. In addition, Qatar has supported Afghanistan Beach Football Team in its campaign in the Beach Football World Cup Qualifier.

Afghanistan Unmoved at 186

FIFA published its latest ranking of the national teams and Afghanistan is has kept the 186 position like the previous month. Afghanistan has only 39 points which are collected from 2011 matches.

Afghanistan stands at 41 in Asia and 5th in South Asia.

Arzoo Refuses to Join Indian Clubs, But He May Join Next Season

Balal Arzoo had offers from two Indian clubs early last year, but he refused the offers. Norwegian newspaper, Agderpostens, reports two clubs from India, Mumbai FC and United Sikkem, had competitive offers to the Afghan international, however, Balal rejected the offer since the offer was only for six months up to end of the season. The offer was equivalent of of a salary of a professional player in Norwegian league, according to the newspaper.

"It was very exciting. The problem was that they wanted me down now for only six months. For personal reasons, it was difficult form me to accept" says Arzoo. However, he does not rule out joining an India club in a later date. "It may be possible for me to become a professional footballer there in July or August if I get a longer contract" says Arzoo.

Arzoo is playing for Asker Club in Norway's 3rd tier club division. He has played in 7 encounters for Afghanistan scoring a total of 7 goals. He is expected to play for Afghanistan again in the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers in March.

Afghanistan Aims for a Strong Squad for AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers

Yousef Kargar has invited more than 30 players from inside and outside Afghanistan to the national team for the preparation of the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier. Afghanistan is placed with host Laos, Mongolia and Sri Lanka in Group C which will be held on March 2, 4 and 6.

The domestic players already started their practice camp in Kabul earlier this week and will fly to Dubai for a 12 day camp where the foreign based players will also join. Kargar will select 23 players for the final squad after the Dubai camp.

Afghanistan Based Players:

Hamidullah Yousefzai – Forozi, Kabul
Abdul Qayum Sapond – De Maiwand Atalan, Kandahar
Feraydun Khatibi – Ansari FC, Herat
Ali Yarzada – Toofan Harirood, Herat
Hamid Karimi – Toofan Harirood, Herat
Rafi Barekzai – Toofan Harirood, Herat
Waheed Nadeem – Toofan Harirood, Herat
Masood Hashimi – Urdo, Kabul
Faiz Mohammad Faiz – De Maiwand Atalan, Kandahar
Fayaz Azizi – Simorgh Alborz, Balkh
Munirulhaq Nadeem – Simorgh Alborz, Balkh
Mustafa Rezai – Simorgh Alborz, Balkh
2 other players – Estiqlal Kabul

Foreign Based Players:

Amrudin Sharifi – Iran
Zainudin Sharifi – Iran
Yusef Mashriqi – USA
Idris Mashriqi – USA
Arash Hatifie – USA
Fardin Shinwari – USA
Faisal Sakhizada – Dandenong Thunder Australia
Islam Amiri – Mumbai FC India
Edris Hijrat – Quick 20 Holland
Djelaludin Sharityar – Al Hidd Bahrain
Mustafa Azadzoi – VFB Oldenberg Germany
Harez Habib – BC Sport Kasel Germany
Hasib Wada – FCA Darmstadt Germany
Sarmi Hasil – Germany
Sandjar Ahmadi – SC Vier- und Marschlande Germany
Mustafa Hadid – Altona 93 Germany
Belal Arezou – Asker FC Norway
Salim Kohistani – Denmark
Jawad Alam – Denmark

Afghanistan Starts Practice Camp in Kabul

The practice camp of the national team started two days ago in the AFF Stadium in Kabul. The 14 domestic players who are called for the national team would have a 10-12 day practice camp in Kabul following to another 10-12 day practice in Dubai.

16 Afghan players who plays in USA, India, Bahrain, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands will join the squad in Dubai. The Head Coach will select 23 players at the end of Dubai camp. A one week camp will also be arranged in Dubai right before the team travels to Laos. AFF is also arranging two friendly matches with two UAE clubs in the third camp.

AFF has invited a number of players from the squad that played in 2011 SAFF Championship and a pool of players from the Premier League teams. AFF has not released the names of all invited players, but I can confirm Maqsood Hashimi, Wahid Nadim, Hamid Yousefzai, Moqadar Qazizada and Marood Mohammadi participated in today's practice session.

Afghanistan is drawn with Laos, Sri Lanka and Mongolia in Group C of the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier to be held between March 2-6 in Laos.

Yousef Kargar said in an interview the qualifier and the main tournament are very important and he hopes Afghanistan can win and qualify of the AFC Cup of Nations to be held in 2015 in Australia.

Kandahar Wins the Winter Cup

Kandahar provincial team beat Farah in the final of the Winter Cup which was held in Kandahar from two weeks ago. Kandahar scored 4 goals, while Farah only responded only with 2 goals.

A total of 8 teams participated in the tournament: 2 teams from Kandahar, one team from Chaman, and provincial teams of Farah, Helmand, Kunduz, Ghazni and Baghlan.

Meanwhile, Da Maiwand Atalan will meet Sherzai FC in a friendly match tomorrow.

Afghanistan to Hold Camp in Dubai

Informal sources told me AFF is going to organize a practice camp for the national team in Dubai in 2 weeks. The camp that will last for 20-30 days will feature a number of new players, most of whom played in the Afghan Premier League last fall. Interestingly, only 3 players from Kabul retained their places in the national team. Those are Moqadar Qazizada, Hamid Yousefzai and Maqsood Hashimi. Faisal Safa looks a big miss as we he was doing quite well in the defense.

Same sources told AFF is organizing a press conference today in Kabul, apparently to release their plans for development of football this year. More details will be revealed at the conference.

If true, that would be a great effort by AFF to prepare the national team for upcoming AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers. Afghanistan has not played a single match in the past 13 months and a long preparatory camp is a must.

At this stage, there is no talk on organizing friendlies. However, Afghanistan and Philippines can set friendlies in Dubai since both teams will have preparatory camps there almost at the same time.

Afghanistan is placed with host Laos, Sri Lanka and Mongolia in the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier Group C which will be played on March 2, 4 and 6 in Laos. Only the top team qualifies for the final stage along with two 2nd best teams among all groups.

Khost to Select Its Provincial Team

The Provincial Football Federation of Khost, in southern Afghanistan, has launched a 10 team tournament after which it will create its provincial football team.

Ten teams are divided into two groups of 5. Group A features Club, Airport Team, Motoon Baba, Almara and Shahib, while group B consist of Mojahid, Hemat, Ismail Khail Caravan, Gharghasht and Youth Club.

Top two teams from each group will fight for a place in final in 2 semi-final matches. Mujahid has already cemented its place in the semi-final.

AFF President Asks for Financial Independence

President of Afghanistan Football Federation asked for financial independence of AFF. Karemuddin Karem said on Monday his organization needs to know its budget and should have the discretion to spend it. Currently, the funds for AFF are transferred through National Olympic Committee.

Previously AFF faced a lot of challenges in receiving its funds from the NOC.

Meanwhile, FIFA awarded referee certificates to a number of Afghans. Sabir Azizi and Hamid Yousafzai are now international referees, while Hajar Abolfazl, Halim Aqa Shirzad, Forozan Tajali and Haidari have international assistant referee certificates.

Sangar is Crowned Kabul Women Champion

Sangar Women Club is crowned as the champion of Kabul women football tournament. Sangar beat Global Trust Women Team in the final of 10 team tournament this week.

The tournament lasted 2 weeks and all matches were played in AFF Stadium in Kabul. AFF officials say they have selected 20 players for the national women team as well.

Fahima from Global trust became the best scorer with 8 goals, while Mona Amiri, the youngest player of the tournament, became the best player.

Afghanistan Put in Group A of Asian Qualifier for Beach Soccer World Cup

Media sources confirmed early this week Afghanistan's participation in the Asian qualification round of Beach Soccer World Cup. Afghanistan is put in group C along with host Qatar, Oman and Australia.

The qualification will begin on January 22 and ends on 26 and Afghanistan hopes it can put a good display under the leadership of its Brazilian coach, Juan Marcos.

The squad was finalized last Sunday. All players are coming from Kabul except for Ghulam Raza Yaqoubi, who is coming from western city of Herat.

14 countries have participated in the qualifier, while only 3 will make it to Haiti in September this year.

The Draw Already Held, Afghanistan Hope to Participate

While the draw for AFC Beach Soccer World Cup Qualifier is held and 13 teams are divided in their respected groups, Afghanistan Football Federation hopes it can still participate in the qualifier. AFF says they have received a telephone call from FIFA and they were requested to participate in the tournament. The main reason behind not participation is lack of funds.

Afghanistan participated in the Beach Soccer matches of Asian Olympic Competitions in 2012 where it finished bottom of the table after defeats against China, Vietnam and Palestine with 4-6, 3-4 and 0-7 scorelines respectively.

2012: Afghanistan Football in Review

We are some hours away from 2013 and I look back to the ups and downs of football in Afghanistan in 2012. Overall, it was an unproductive year of football for Afghanistan on international level, but very productive in terms of domestic football.

National Men Team: Afghanistan did not take part in any official or friendly fixtures in 2012. That dropped Afghanistan 24 places on FIFA ranking. While Afghanistan's participation in the Nehru Cup was confirmed initially, at the end Afghanistan did not participate. Furthermore, Afghanistan rejected the invitation of Pakistan Football Federation to play friendlies on two occasions. These all proved how the achievements can be compromised as the result of ineffectiveness of the Football Federation.

Afghanistan Women Team: While it was a quite year for the men's team, the women's team started the year on a high. In February, Afghanistan defeated Qatar 2-0 in a friendly in Doha. This was the first victory for Afghanistan in an international fixture. In the SAFF Championship, Afghanistan drew with Maldives, but defeated Pakistan with 4-0 scoreline. In spite of 7-1 defeat in the match with host Nepal, Afghanistan qualified for the semi-final where it was eventually eliminated by India. Afghanistan used a mixed of players from domestic players and a number of US and Germany based players.

U14 National Team: Afghanistan won the South and Central Asian Festival, however, it did not have a good showing in the South Asian Countries tournament which was held in Japan. In other levels, Afghanistan did not bother to participate in official matches.

Afghanistan Premier League: For many years, it was my wish to witness the launch of a national league. In 2012, it came true and Afghanistan launched the first ever premier league. Eight teams were selected by a pool of AFF coaches. The teams represented 8 regions of the country which were divided in two groups of four teams, with semi-final and final matches staged after the group stage. Toofan Harirood won the title eventually beating Simorgh Alborz in the final match. Overall, it was a very well organized tournament with all matches broadcasted live on TV, radio and youtube. The tournament created the basis for future improvements of football and brought football to the homes of Afghans.

Afghans in Foreign Leagues: Islam Amiri continued his association with Mumbai FC for the second season, this time as the skipper. His team is now in 5th place in the I-League. Jalal Sharityar left the Cyprus League and joined Al-Hadd in Bahrain's Premier League. His team is now second in the League. Balal Arzoo is still with Asker, but his team failed to promote to the second tier league in Norway. Yousef Mashriqi had a two week long training with Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan, but he did not agree on the terms of the contract with the Uzbek side. The others continued in their previous teams in the second or lower tiers of European leagues.

Elsewhere, provincial leagues continued like the previous years with Herat, Kabul, Balkh and Kandahar pioneering in terms of holding different categories of provincial tournaments. Meanwhile, the work on a number of football stadiums initiated this year. Ghazi stadium was also covered by a turf pitch.

While 2012 is gone, all eyes are on 2013. A lot is expected in 2013. A better improved national league is expected, the national is expected qualify for the final stage of the AFC Challenge Cup and also make a good drive in the SAFF Championship. In addition, Afghanistan is participating in the AFC U16 and U19 Qualifiers and SAFF U16 Qualifiers. It is still to be seen if Afghanistan experiences a productive year year of football in 2013. Happy new year!

AFF Names Coach of the Year

The coach who led his team to glory in the first premier league of Afghanistan is selected as the Coach of the Year by Afghanistan Football Federation. The delegation from AFF who has traveled to Herat this week, gave the title to Moien Hamedi, coach of Toofan Harirood. Toofan beat Simorgh Alborz 2-1 in the final match of the first Afghan Premier League this year.

Meanwhile, the governor of Herat asked Toofan to start preparations from now and defend its title next year.

The officials in AFF said they will try to standardize the league and make it round robin where each team will face the other team in two legs.

Some reports suggest a new stadium will be built in Herat next year and the work will begin very soon. Herat has only one stadium which lacks a proper pitch and is owned by the municipality.

Afghanistan Drops Dramatically in FIFA Ranking

As expected, Afghanistan witnessed a dramatic drop in FIFA ranking this month. By losing 82 points, Afghanistan was placed 186 in FIFA ranking, 19 places lower than the previous month. This is the biggest drop of Afghanistan Football Team in FIFA ranking in a month. Afghanistan had recorded 13 placed drop in 2011.

Afghanistan did not play a single match after the 2011 SAFF Championship and is only set to play matches in March when it faces Laos, Mongolia and Sri Lanka in the Challenge Cup Qualifier.

In Asia, Afghanistan stands at 41 and 5 in south Asia, in contrast to 30 and 2 in previous month.

I have warned more than a month ago this would happen, but unfortunately Afghanistan Football Federation did not organize any friendlies during November and December.

After release of the ranking, AFF officials said the National Team will be engaged in a number of tournaments in 2013 and Afghanistan's ranking will be improved. One of the coaches in AFF says they aim to reach to raise to 150 in 2013.

Afghanistan to Begin U14 Campaign on May 4

Football Federation of Nepal has finalized the date for group C qualifiers of inaugural AFC U-14 Championship on Tuesday.


The qualifiers will be played in Kathmandu from May 4 to 15.

Afghanistan have been grouped with Bhutan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Maldives and Nepal in Group C.

Top two teams from this group will qualify for the 8 team final stage to be held in 2014.

Afghanistan's 2nd Goal Project

Project approval date: 2010-10-26

Project location: Kabul

Project description:
Construction of the association’s headquarters. The project is part of a football complex that includes an artificial turf pitch and a technical centre

Goal project number: 2

Project status: Active

Objectives:
The objectives of this project are:
-to deliver headquarters and administrative offices befitting a football association
-to improve the association’s training facilities
-to help the association to optimise the use of its headquarters

Goal contribution 400000
FAP contribution 175000
MA contribution 0
Other contribution 0
Total budget 575000
Contractors Total amount
Ehsanullah Timor Engineeing and Technical Services Company Ltd (ETESC) 5000
Peshsaaz Nawin Close Shareholding Construction Company 240022
Total paid 245022