Sport
Afghanistan A to face Sri Lanka A in maiden T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup final
Friday’s thrilling victory over India A has set the stage for what will no doubt be an exciting showdown on Sunday
Afghanistan A will face Sri Lanka A on Sunday evening, October 27, in the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 final at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.
This comes after Afghanistan A defeated India A by 20 runs in the second semi-final of the championships on Friday.
On Sunday morning, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) wished the team well and said in a post on X: “#AfghanAbdalyan are set to play their first-ever ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup Grand Finale as they take on Sri Lanka A in an epic showdown tonight.
“Go well and bring it home, Abdalyano!,” the board said.
Friday’s thrilling victory over India A has set the stage for what will no doubt be an exciting showdown on Sunday.
Powered by an impressive 83 off 52 balls from Sediqullah Atal, Afghanistan A posted a formidable total of 206/4 against India A.
Zubaid Akbari (64 off 41) and Karim Janat (41 off 20) added further firepower, setting a challenging target for India A.
India A’s chase began with promise but stumbled as Afghanistan’s bowlers held their nerve.
Ramandeep Singh top-scored with a rapid 64 off 34 balls, keeping India in the hunt until the final overs.
Ayush Badoni (31 off 24) and Nishant Sindhu (23 off 13) provided valuable contributions, but Afghanistan A’s disciplined bowling, especially from AM Ghazanfar (2/14) and Abdul Rahman (2/32), restricted India A to 186/7 in 20 overs.
Afghanistan A has meanwhile had a number of standout players, including Sediqullah Atal who has posted a whopping 313 runs in this tournament.
Standing at number 1 for the most runs, fellow player Zubairullah Akbari is at number 3 with his total of 137 runs. Second on the board is Babar Hayat from Hong Kong with 162 runs.
Sunday’s match will get underway at 6pm local time.
The Afghanistan Football Federation announced on Tuesday that Afghanistan’s under-15 national football team has qualified for the FIFA U-15 World Cup, marking a significant achievement for the country’s youth football development.
According to the federation, the qualification comes as a result of sustained efforts and strategic planning aimed at strengthening grassroots football across Afghanistan.
The federation said the successful organization of under-14 competitions in different zones of the country helped pave the way for the U-15 national team to secure a place in the global tournament.
In a statement, the federation said the achievement also follows efforts by its leadership, particularly Mohammad Yousuf Kargar, who held discussions with officials of FIFA while emphasizing the development of youth football in Afghanistan.
The tournament, part of FIFA’s global talent development program, aims to nurture young players, improve technical ability, provide international exposure, and prepare the next generation of footballers.
The competition will take place in Azerbaijan from October 22 to 31, 2026, with under-15 teams from FIFA member nations set to participate.
Players born in 2011 and 2012 will be eligible for the tournament.
Matches will be played in an 8-versus-8 format designed to maximize ball involvement, develop individual skills, improve decision-making, and provide young players with valuable international competition experience.
Afghanistan’s participation is being seen as a major opportunity for the country’s emerging football talent to compete on the world stage and further elevate the profile of Afghan youth football.
Sport
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan set for friendly cricket clash in Khost
The match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that it will host Uzbekistan’s national cricket team for a one-off T20 international on July 10 at the Rahmat Wali Masroori Cricket Ground in Khost province.
According to the ACB, the match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The friendly match is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM, with an Afghan XI taking on the visiting Uzbek side. The game will be broadcast live across Afghanistan and internationally through various linear and digital platforms.
Quoted by the ACB, Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan said the board remains committed to supporting emerging cricket nations such as Uzbekistan and is ready to extend similar assistance to other countries seeking to develop the sport.
He noted that the ACB has already organized capacity-building programs and training workshops for members of the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan, while several Uzbek fast bowlers also participated in the ACB’s specialized Fast Bowling Camp last year.
Khan added that Uzbekistan has consistently maintained a friendly policy toward Afghanistan and that the two countries have strengthened cooperation in healthcare, politics, and trade in recent years. He said closer collaboration in cricket development would further deepen relations between the two neighboring nations.
Sport
Serbian Dejan Dedovic appointed head coach of Afghanistan national futsal team
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has appointed Serbian coach Dejan Dedovic as the new head coach of the national futsal team on a two-year contract.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by AFF officials, futsal committee members, technical staff, and sports journalists.
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The federation also announced several additions to the national team’s coaching staff. Iran’s Javad Asghari Moqaddam has been appointed technical director, while Morteza Mansour Samaei will serve as goalkeeping coach. Spain’s Uriel Masana has joined as assistant coach, Iran’s Sadeq Amani as fitness coach, and Brazil’s Joao Lira as team analyst.
In addition, the AFF renewed the contract of Mohammad Nasir Sedaqat as manager of the national futsal team.
The federation said it expects the newly assembled coaching staff to contribute to the continued development of Afghan futsal and strengthen the team’s competitiveness at the regional and international levels.
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