Sport
Afghanistan can learn to control pressure and emotions only by playing top teams regularly: Ahmadzai
Raees Ahmadzai, Afghanistan’s assistant coach, has implored the ICC and other Full Members to play them often to help develop quality, improved game sense and the ability to close out matches under pressure.
Since 2021, Afghanistan have only played Ireland, Netherlands, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in bilateral series. Their maiden tour to Australia, which was first postponed because of Covid-19 in 2020, was called off late last year.
Afghanistan defeated Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the group stage of the ongoing Asia Cup T20I tournament, but lost their Super Four matches against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India.
“It’s important for a team like us to play against top-level teams,” Ahmadzai said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.com. “It’s not easy. I can’t remember when we last played India or Pakistan. Playing one or two matches against them in top-level tournaments is not enough. It will help if we play them more often.
“Only then can our players learn to control their emotions, control pressure and learn from [the experience]. I feel we deserve that. The way we started in the Asia Cup, giving a tough time to the other teams, I think we did well. Our win over Sri Lanka was a one-sided win, we beat Bangladesh. But we have to improve on the basics. Our players realise where we should be more focused so that we can finish the way we started.”
Defending 130 against Pakistan, Afghanistan restricted 118 for 9 with seven balls left. Then Naseem Shah smashed two sixes off full tosses to secure win for Pakistan. The next day on Thursday, Afghanistan suffered a 101-run loss against India.
Ahmadzai revealed the team had been “sleepless” following the Pakistan loss, because of how much it took out of them mentally, having lost a game they believed was theirs.
“To be honest, everyone panicked in that situation [when Pakistan were nine down],” Ahmadzai revealed. But then we played back-to-back games, and we tried our best. The way we looked at the wicket, I thought we could restrict India to 170 or 180. But if you drop a catch of a good player like Kohli, he won’t give you too many opportunities.”
According to Ahmadzai, some individual performances were source of encouragement as Afghanistan build towards the T20 World Cup in Australia.
“If you’re playing against the big names, the big stars, you always get to learn a lot. During the tournament we spent some time with the Pakistani and Sri Lankan players also. It was a good experience, something our players can learn [from] and apply at the World Cup.”
Afghanistan’s national cricket team defeated the West Indies by 23 runs in their second and final warm-up match ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The match was played in India, where Afghanistan had already beaten Scotland by 61 runs in their first warm-up game.
Afghanistan will open their official World Cup campaign on February 9 in Chennai, India, when they face New Zealand.
Sport
Winter Olympics finally underway, ATN to broadcast exclusively across Afghanistan
Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) will broadcast the Games nationwide, starting Thursday, February 5, with an exciting snowboarding event airing live from 11:00 pm local time.
The long-awaited Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games are finally underway, bringing the thrill of world-class winter sport to audiences across the globe — and for viewers in Afghanistan, all the action will be available exclusively on Ariana Television.
Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) will broadcast the Games nationwide, starting Thursday, February 5, with an exciting snowboarding event airing live from 11:00 pm local time. A pre-show will start at 10:30 pm local time.
The coverage marks a major moment for sports fans, offering front-row access to one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles.
From high-speed snowboarding runs to the drama and determination of elite athletes competing on ice and snow, the Winter Olympics promise weeks of excitement, inspiration and global unity through sport.
ATN said its exclusive coverage aims to bring international sport closer to Afghan audiences, celebrating athletic excellence and the Olympic spirit from the opening events onward.
With the first medals on the line and snowboarding kicking off the broadcast schedule, fans are being urged to tune in Thursday evening as the Winter Olympics roar into life.
Sport
Hosts and heavyweights advance as AFC Futsal Asian Cup reaches semifinals
former champions Japan delivered a dominant performance to eliminate Afghanistan 6-0. Japan pulled away in the second half to secure a comprehensive win and extend their title hopes.
Tuesday’s quarter-final action at the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup delivered high-stakes drama as four teams booked their places in the semifinals of the continental tournament.
Defending champions Iran staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Uzbekistan 7-4. Uzbekistan had raced into an early lead, but Iran rallied with relentless attacking pressure to secure their semi-final berth.
Iraq continued their impressive run, beating Thailand 4-1 to reach the last four for the first time since 2018. Iraq’s victory sets up a compelling semifinal clash with Iran later in the week.
In another exciting fixture, host nation Indonesia reached the semifinals for the first time in over a decade by edging Vietnam 3-2. Indonesia took an early lead and held off a late surge from Vietnam to delight local supporters.
Meanwhile, former champions Japan delivered a dominant performance to eliminate Afghanistan 6-0. Japan pulled away in the second half to secure a comprehensive win and extend their title hopes.
The results set up two blockbuster semifinal ties on Thursday: Iran will face Iraq, while Japan meets Indonesia in a highly anticipated encounter between regional rivals.
Tuesday’s action marked a dramatic turn in the competition as the elite teams of Asian futsal sharpen their focus on lifting the continental crown.
All matches are being broadcast live and exclusively across Afghanistan on Ariana Television.
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