Connect with us

Sport

Afghanistan names 23-player squad for 2025 CAFA Nations Cup

Afghanistan has been placed in Group B alongside Iran, India, and host nation Tajikistan.

Published

on

The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has unveiled a 23-member national squad for the upcoming Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup, set to begin on Friday, August 29.

The lineup includes goalkeepers Faisal Ahmad Hamidi, Issa Azizi, and Keyvan Mottaqian. In defense, the squad features Sharif Mohammad, Elias Mansour, Mahboob Hanifi, Ruhollah Iqbalzada, Amid Arezo, Syed Arif Akbar, and Thomas Safari.

Midfield duties will be carried out by Zolfaqar Nazari, Rahmat Akbari, Yama Shirzad, Alireza Panahi, Mohammad Naeem Rahimi, and Syed Mortaza Fatemi. Leading the attack are forwards Tawafa Sikandari, Mosawer Ahadi, Qamaruddin Mazyar Kohyar, Hossain Zamani, Omid Mosavi, Habibollah Hotak, and Bilal Arezo.

Afghanistan has been placed in Group B alongside Iran, India, and host nation Tajikistan.

The national team will face Iran in its opening match on August 29, followed by Tajikistan on September 1 and India on September 4.

Group A, hosted in Uzbekistan, includes Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Oman.

The tournament will run until September 8.

In recent years, Afghanistan’s national football team has shown mixed results on the international stage.

While the team has struggled in World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers, it has consistently remained competitive in regional tournaments.

Afghanistan’s most notable achievement came in 2013, when it won the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, and since then the squad has worked to rebuild and integrate young talent.

Participation in CAFA tournaments has given the team valuable experience against stronger Central Asian sides and the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup is seen as an important test for the squad’s progress, offering a chance to measure themselves against some of Asia’s top-ranked teams.

Sport

Omar Zawak thrash Istiqlal Kabul 5-1 in ACL

Published

on

Omar Zawak secured an emphatic 5-1 victory over Istiqlal Kabul in the 80th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan, delivering an impressive attacking performance.

The match was played in Kabul on Tuesday. Both teams struggled to find the back of the net in the first half, which ended goalless.

However, Omar Zawak stepped up their attacking efforts in the second half, scoring five goals to take control of the match. Istiqlal Kabul managed to score just once as Omar Zawak sealed a convincing 5-1 victory.

Omar Zawak will face Ariana Khost in their next match on November 12, while Istiqlal Kabul will take on Aino Mina Kandahar on the same day.

All matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League are broadcast live on Ariana Television.

Continue Reading

Sport

First Test between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe ends in a draw

Published

on

Zimbabwe produced a remarkable batting display to secure a draw against Afghanistan in the first Test in Sharjah, with Craig Ervine and Wessly Madhevere scoring unbeaten centuries on the final day.

Resuming the fifth and final day at 164/3, Zimbabwe finished on 523/5 in their second innings, following their first-innings total of 504. This marked the first time in Test cricket history that a team has scored more than 500 runs in both innings of a match.

Craig Ervine remained unbeaten on 206, while Madhevere scored 100 not out, as the pair frustrated Afghanistan’s bowlers throughout the day.

Ervine, aged 41 years and 82 days, became the third-oldest player to score a double century in Test cricket.

Afghanistan had posted 514 in their first innings. Afghanistan needed early wickets to put pressure on the hosts, but Zimbabwe’s batters showed patience and discipline on a pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers.

Brian Bennett scored a half-century before Mohammad Saleem dismissed him, while debutant Antum Naqvi contributed 61 runs. Naqvi and Ervine shared a 140-run partnership before Abdul Malik broke the stand.

However, Madhevere joined Ervine and the pair put together an unbeaten 208-run partnership for the sixth wicket, the highest for that wicket in Zimbabwe’s Test history. Madhevere also registered his maiden Test century during the partnership.

The result leaves the two sides level heading into the second and final Test, which is scheduled to begin in Sharjah on November 13.

Continue Reading

Sport

Portugal beat Afghanistan 2-0 in Dakar Youth Olympics futsal semi-finals

Published

on

Afghanistan’s Under-18 futsal team missed out on a place in the gold medal match at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Portugal in the semi-finals on Monday.

Portugal took the lead through Joao Carvalho, who capitalised on a goalkeeping error by Afghanistan’s Ahmad Esmaeili to score into an unguarded net from inside his own half.

Diego Ferreira doubled Portugal’s advantage before half-time, putting the European side firmly in control of the match.

Afghanistan pushed hard to get back into the game in the second half, creating several opportunities to reduce the deficit. However, they were unable to find the net, with Portugal goalkeeper Bernardo Borges making several important saves.

The victory sends Portugal into the gold medal match, while Afghanistan will now compete for the bronze medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending

Copyright © 2026 Ariana News. All rights reserved!