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Afghanistan names 15-man squad for AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers
For Afghanistan, advancing past the qualifiers would mark a significant achievement and provide further momentum for the sport at home.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has unveiled its 15-member squad for the upcoming AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, set to be held in Indonesia later this month.
Afghanistan has been drawn in Group H, alongside Myanmar and the Maldives, in one of the tighter groups of the qualifiers.
The national side will begin their campaign against the Maldives on September 20 before taking on Myanmar on September 24. Only the group winners and the best second-placed teams will advance to the finals, making every match crucial.
The 15-player squad includes a blend of youth and experience, with key figures such as Mohammad Jawad Safi, Ali Ahmad Mohseni, and Mehdi Nowruzi expected to anchor the team.
Other notable inclusions are Reza Hosseinpur, Jawad Haidari, Hamid Reza Hosseini, and Ali Amiri.
Full Squad:
Mohammad Jawad Safi, Ali Ahmad Mohseni, Mehdi Nowruzi, Reza Hosseinpur, Jawad Haidari, Hamid Reza Hosseini, Ali Amiri, Syed Murtaza Hosseini, Farzad Mahmoodi, Mohammad Moradi, Bahman Gorgij, Sayed Hossein Mousavi, Akbar Kazemi, Abbas Haidari, Omid Qanbari.
This year’s qualifiers feature 31 nations, split into eight groups — seven groups of four and one group of three.
The winners of each group and the top six second-placed teams will secure a berth in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026, Asia’s premier futsal competition.
Afghanistan has been steadily developing its futsal program in recent years, with domestic leagues drawing increased participation and attention. The sport has grown in popularity as it requires fewer facilities than traditional football, making it accessible in Afghan cities and towns where infrastructure challenges remain.
For Afghanistan, advancing past the qualifiers would mark a significant achievement and provide further momentum for the sport at home.
The team faces a challenging path, but officials at the AFF say they are optimistic that the squad has the talent and determination to compete strongly against regional opponents.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that security risks in Central Asia and developments in Afghanistan are among the primary concerns for the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
The CSTO is a regional military alliance that includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
Speaking in Moscow during a meeting with CSTO Secretary-General Taalatbek Masadykov, Lavrov described the region’s security challenges as “central” to the organization’s agenda.
“The problems that are currently among the central ones for the CSTO are new challenges and threats. I am referring to the situation in the Central Asian region of collective security, as well as everything related to what is happening in Afghanistan,” he said.
He praised Masadykov as “one of the leading experts” on Central Asian security, noting that his experience could enhance coordination and increase the effectiveness of allied actions.
Similar to NATO, the CSTO considers an attack on one member state as an attack on all.
Countries in the region have always expressed concern about security threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed these concerns and assured that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against another country.
The Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan has announced that the leader of the Islamic Emirate has approved the establishment of a faculty dedicated to “Prophetic Medicine.”
According to the ministry, this new faculty will play a vital role in advancing medical sciences and training skilled healthcare professionals across the country.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, Noorullah Noori, has announced that the long-delayed demarcation and renovation of border markers along the Afghanistan–Iran frontier will officially begin in the near future.
According to a statement from the ministry, Noori made the remarks during a meeting with Iran’s ambassador to Kabul, Ali-Reza Bikdeli.
He assured the Iranian side that the Islamic Emirate is fully committed to accelerating the process and resolving any challenges that may arise during implementation.
In a separate statement, the Iranian Embassy in Kabul said Bikdeli underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation on border issues, describing it as a key factor in strengthening and expanding overall relations between the two countries.
Officials from both sides agreed nearly three months ago to resume the border-marker renovation project, which had remained stalled for the past seven years.
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