Sport
Afghan futsal player Reza Hosseinpoor joins UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli
Afghan futsal player Reza Hosseinpoor has officially signed with Shabab Al Ahli Club, one of the leading sports clubs in the United Arab Emirates.
Founded in 1958 and based in Dubai, Shabab Al Ahli is well known for its football, futsal, and handball teams, regularly competing at the top levels of UAE and regional competitions. The club has a strong youth program and a reputation for developing local and international talent.
Hosseinpoor, a key player for Afghanistan’s national futsal team, is expected to bring his experience and skill to the club, boosting their performance in domestic and regional tournaments. His transfer is also seen as a milestone for Afghan futsal, offering greater exposure and professional growth for players from the country.
Afghanistan’s U-15 national football team secured a convincing 6-2 victory over Namibia in the Round of 16 of the lower bracket in Tier C at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan on Wednesday.
Afghanistan will now face India in the quarter-finals for positions 81 to 88, today (Thursday).
Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe by 37 runs in the opening match of their three-match T20I series in Sharjah on Tuesday, thanks to a blistering half-century from Ijaz Ahmadzai and impressive all-round performances from Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Afghanistan were struggling at 66 for 5 in the 12th over before Ahmadzai turned the innings around with an explosive knock. He reached his half-century off just 20 balls, putting Zimbabwe’s bowlers under pressure with a series of powerful shots.
Ahmadzai combined with Shahidullah, who scored 46 off 42 balls, to rebuild the innings. The pair added 61 runs in just 4.5 overs, helping Afghanistan recover from their early setbacks.
Rashid Khan provided another late surge, smashing 30 runs off just 10 deliveries, including four sixes and a four. Afghanistan were eventually bowled out with one ball remaining in their innings but managed to post a competitive total of 177.
Newman Nyamhuri was Zimbabwe’s leading bowler, claiming four wickets for 31 runs.
In reply, Zimbabwe struggled against Afghanistan’s disciplined bowling attack and were bowled out for 140, handing Afghanistan a comfortable victory.
Rashid played a key role with the ball, taking two wickets for 20 runs, while Fazalhaq Farooqi also claimed three wickets to restrict Zimbabwe’s chase.
Afghanistan tightened their grip during the middle overs as Rashid and Mujeeb Ur Rahman struck crucial blows. Mujeeb finished with two wickets, while Zimbabwe continued to lose batters at regular intervals and failed to build the partnerships needed to challenge the target.
The victory marked Afghanistan’s sixth consecutive T20I win against Zimbabwe and improved their overall record in the format to 20 wins against two defeats.
The sides will meet again for their next T20I on Thursday.
Afghanistan’s national under-18 futsal team arrived in Dakar, Senegal, over the weekend to prepare for the upcoming Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, where they will face Panama, Argentina and hosts Senegal in the group stage.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) announced that the squad would undertake a six-day training camp in Senegal ahead of the competition, with support from the federation.
Coached by Behrouz Jafari, the Afghan side have been preparing for the tournament in Kabul and Tehran since October 5, in order to arrive in Senegal ready for the international challenge.
According to the announced schedule, the futsal competition will run from November 1 to 12, with Afghanistan facing a demanding group featuring two international opponents and the home side.
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will take place from October 31 to November 13 across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
The event marks the first time an Olympic competition has been hosted on African soil and is expected to bring together approximately 2,700 athletes from more than 200 National Olympic Committees.
The Games will feature a wide range of sports, including athletics, swimming, basketball, boxing, gymnastics, cycling, wrestling and futsal, celebrating young sporting talent and promoting international friendship and cultural exchange.
Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) has secured the exclusive television and digital media rights to broadcast the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games across Afghanistan, bringing the international sporting event to audiences nationwide.
The coverage forms part of ATN’s ongoing commitment to delivering world-class sporting events to Afghan viewers and connecting young people with international competition.
Afghanistan’s participation in the futsal tournament will give audiences an opportunity to follow the country’s young athletes as they represent Afghanistan on the Olympic stage.
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