Sport
Afghanistan futsal team beats Vietnam 5–3 in friendly ahead of Asian Cup
Afghanistan’s national futsal team delivered an impressive performance on Sunday, defeating Vietnam 5–3 in an international friendly as part of its preparations for the AFC Asian Futsal Cup, providing a timely confidence boost ahead of the continental tournament.
The match, played at a neutral venue, saw Afghanistan display attacking intent and improved cohesion, with five different players finding the net. Akbar Kazemi, Hamid Reza Hosseini, Reza Hosseinpour, Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini and Seyed Morteza Hosseini all scored, underlining the team’s balanced offense and depth across the squad.
Vietnam, considered one of Southeast Asia’s stronger futsal sides, tested Afghanistan with quick transitions and sustained pressure, but the Afghan team responded with disciplined defending and sharp finishing to maintain control of the match. Coaching staff described the fixture as an important test of match fitness, tactical execution and mental resilience ahead of the Asian Cup.
The friendly forms part of a broader preparation program that includes intensive training camps and a series of warm-up matches designed to help the team adapt to high-tempo competition and refine set-piece play.
Analysts said the performance reflected steady progress in recent months, particularly in terms of coordination and game management.
The AFC Asian Futsal Cup will kick off on January 27 in Indonesia, featuring 16 of Asia’s top teams.
Afghanistan has been placed in Group C, alongside regional heavyweights Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia, making qualification for the knockout stage a significant challenge.
Iran, one of the tournament favorites and a perennial contender at both Asian and global levels, will pose a particularly tough test, while matches against Saudi Arabia and Malaysia are expected to be closely contested. Afghanistan’s coaching staff has emphasized the importance of strong starts and disciplined performances in the group stage.
The Asian Cup is Asia’s premier futsal competition and also serves as a key platform for emerging teams to gain international exposure.
Matches will be broadcast live by Ariana Television across Afghanistan, enabling fans to closely follow the event.
Officials said the victory over Vietnam has lifted team morale as Afghanistan aims to make a competitive showing and build momentum at the continental level.
Sport
Abu Muslim Farah beat Sarsabz Yashlar 3–0 in sixth season of ACL opener
Fans across Afghanistan can watch today’s second and third matches live and exclusively on Ariana Television.
Defending champions Abu Muslim Farah made a winning start to the sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, defeating Sarsabz Yashlar of Faryab 3–0 in the opening match.
The match, played Thursday evening at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium, saw Abu Muslim Farah dominate proceedings and secure all three points with a convincing performance.
Omid Popalzai opened the scoring in the first half, before Mahboob Hanafi and Omid Rajabi added two more goals after the break to seal a comfortable victory for the defending champions.
The sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League features 10 teams, with the competition being played on a home-and-away format in Kabul.
Today, Friday, Omar Zawak Loy Shindand will face Khurasan Faryab at 3:30 p.m., while Istiqlal Kabul will take on Toofan Herat in the third match of the day.
Ariana Khost and Umar Zawak Loy Shindand are among the new teams competing in this season’s tournament.
Fans across Afghanistan can watch today’s second and third matches live and exclusively on Ariana Television.
The sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League will run until November 21, with the participating teams battling for the championship title.
Sport
Afghanistan Champions League Season 6 kicks off today: Abu Muslim Farah face Sarsabz Yashlar
The match is scheduled for 7:30pm Kabul time and will mark the start of a season running until November 21.
The sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League kicks off Thursday, September 10, with defending champions Abu Muslim Farah facing Sarsabz Yashlar of Faryab in the opening match.
The match is scheduled for 7:30pm Kabul time and will mark the start of a season running until November 21.
Ten clubs will compete in the league, with matches played in a home-and-away format in Kabul.
Abu Muslim Farah will begin their title defence against Sarsabz Yashlar, while Ariana Khost and Omar Zawak Loy Shindand are among the new additions to this season’s competition.
The other participating teams are Aino Mina, Arman FC, Istiqlal Kabul, Khurasan Faryab, Sorkh Poshan Khafi and Toofan Herat.
Fans across Afghanistan can watch the opening match live and exclusively on Ariana Television from 7:30pm Kabul time.
The Afghanistan Champions League will continue through November 21, with clubs competing for the Season 6 title.
Sport
Afghanistan to host Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the UAE in three-format home season
All the matches will be played in the UAE, though the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has not yet announced the venues.
Afghanistan are set to host Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in October-November in a packed home season that will include matches in all three formats.
All the matches will be played in the UAE, though the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has not yet announced the venues.
The season will kick off on October 9 – six days after the final of the Asian Games T20 tournament in Japan, should Afghanistan make it that far – with a one-off Test match against Bangladesh.
An ODI tri-series will follow from October 17 to 23, with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe facing each other once before the top two teams meet in the final.
Afghanistan will then take on Zimbabwe in a three-match T20I series from October 27 to November 1. The two teams will then face off in two Test matches, the first from November 5 to 9 and the second from November 13 to 17.
Afghanistan have already played a Test match this year, against India in New Chandigarh in June. The three matches against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will take Afghanistan’s total for the year to four Tests – the most they will have played in a calendar year so far.
Afghanistan have played two Tests against Bangladesh so far, winning one and losing the other. They have played five against Zimbabwe, winning two, losing two, and drawing one.
“We are pleased to confirm this important period of international cricket for the Afghanistan National Team,” ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said. “Playing Bangladesh and Zimbabwe across different formats will provide our players with valuable competitive opportunities and offer our supporters an exciting period of international cricket.
“The Afghanistan Cricket Board remains committed to providing our national team with regular, high-quality international cricket. We highly value our relationships with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and Zimbabwe Cricket and appreciate their cooperation in making these important assignments possible.”
Afghanistan vs Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the UAE, 2026-27
One-off Test vs Bangladesh October 9-13
ODI tri-series
Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe October 17
Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe October 19
Afghanistan vs Bangladesh October 21
Final October 23
Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe T20I series
1st T20I October 27
2nd T20I October 29
3rd T20I November 1
Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe Test series
1st Test Nov 5 – 9
2nd Test Nov 13 – 17
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