Sport
Afghanistan Champions League kicks off with grand opening ceremony
The third edition of the exciting Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) football tournament got underway in Kabul on Saturday, with an impressive opening ceremony that was attended by officials, players and fans.
Attending the opening ceremony at the Afghanistan Football Federation stadium, officials, wearing traditional Chapan coats, praised players, including foreign players.
“Athletes represent the will of a nation. Today, it is our athletes who have been able to win great honors for their country on international grounds,” said Mohammad Yusuf Kargar, President of the Afghanistan Football Federation.
Kargar also raised the issue of security, stating players in the past had been drawn from a small pool, while today, with improved security, foreign players are also now able to play in the league.
“We have a different league today than the previous leagues, as there was no nationwide security in Afghanistan during the last 40 years,” Kakar said.
“Fortunately, with this nationwide security, today foreign players are present in the squads of football teams in Afghanistan. Players from Africa, Iran and Pakistan are included in the football squads in Afghanistan.”
Officials said that Afghanistan has great achievements in sports, and that the Islamic Emirate will continue to develop it.
“The victory of the Afghanistan national football team against India was an important achievement in the field of sports. Allah willing, we will try to take more steps in the field of sports to develop sports. We will expand sports from the center to the provinces and districts and make sports widespread,” said Ahmadullah Wasiq, the general director of physical education and sports.
The league is produced and broadcast by Ariana Television Network (ATN).
“Our goal is for football to grow in Afghanistan and for our national champions to achieve more and represent Afghanistan well,” said Lutfullah Stanikzai, Deputy MD, and Director of Sales and Acquisitions at Ariana Television Network
Shortly after the opening ceremony, the first match of ACL started, with Abu Muslim facing Sarsabz Yashlar.
Abu Muslim clinched a 2-0 victory.
The Morocco national futsal team defeated Afghanistan 4–0 in the ongoing Islamic Solidarity Games held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
This was Afghanistan’s third match in the tournament. Earlier, the Afghan team defeated Tajikistan and held Iran to a draw, showing strong form before facing Morocco.
Despite the loss, Afghanistan remains a competitive side in the regional futsal championship, demonstrating growing potential in the sport.
The Islamic Solidarity Games features more than 3,000 athletes from 57 Islamic countries competing across 19 sporting disciplines.
Ariana Television Network (ATN) holds the exclusive broadcasting rights in Afghanistan for the Riyadh 2025 Games.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed on Friday that it will host West Indies for a three-match T20I series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from January 19 to 22.
The series will begin on January 19, with the second and third T20Is scheduled for January 21 and 22. It is expected to provide both teams with valuable match practice and will play a key role in their preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled less than a month after the series.
ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said: “Competing against West Indies on the brink of a global event presents an excellent opportunity for our team to finalize their lineup and enhance preparations for the upcoming tournament in India and Sri Lanka. We have been closely monitoring the team’s preparation process, and facing a quality West Indies side offers an ideal platform for their buildup.”
CWI Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe added: “This series provides an ideal platform for our preparations. Facing strong opposition in subcontinental conditions will help us sharpen our combinations and approach, while also giving our players a chance to build confidence on surfaces similar to those we’ll encounter in India and Sri Lanka.”
Series Schedule:
Afghanistan’s national cricket team continued their dominant form in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament on Friday, recording back-to-back victories over Nepal and South Africa.
Against South Africa, Afghanistan posted 148 runs in six overs. Captain Gulbadin Naib starred with 50 runs off just 12 balls, while Karim Janat added 46 from 11 deliveries. South Africa could muster only 99 runs in response, giving Afghanistan a commanding 49-run win.
Earlier on Friday, Afghanistan had defeated Nepal by 17 runs, marking a perfect start to the tournament.
The Hong Kong Sixes features twelve teams, each with six players, competing in a fast-paced, six-over format.
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