Sport
Afghanistan shine on Day Two of AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026
Day Two of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 delivered high-quality futsal action on Wednesday, with strong performances across the group stage and an emphatic opening win for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan began their Group D campaign in impressive fashion, defeating Saudi Arabia 3–0 at the Jakarta International Velodrome.
Reza Hosseinpoor led the way with two goals, while Omid Qanbari added a late third to seal a confident victory for the Lions of Khorasan.
The result places Afghanistan in a strong early position in a challenging group that also includes reigning champions Iran and Malaysia.
In the other Group D fixture, Iran launched their title defence with a 4–1 win over Malaysia, underlining their status as one of Asia’s futsal powerhouses. Iran and Afghanistan now sit level on points at the top of the group after the opening round of matches.
Group C action saw Japan produce a dominant display, cruising to a 6–2 victory over Australia at the Indonesia Arena.
The four-time champions showed attacking flair and depth as they made a statement in their opening match.
Earlier, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan shared the points in a tightly contested 0–0 draw, leaving Group C finely balanced heading into the next round.
With competitive fixtures and early momentum already shaping the tournament, excitement continues to build as teams battle for quarter-final qualification.
Futsal fans across Afghanistan can follow all the action live, as ATN has secured exclusive broadcasting rights for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026.
Matches will be aired live on Ariana Television. Viewers are encouraged to follow Ariana News and Ariana Television’s social media platforms for up-to-date broadcast schedules and match timings.
Afghanistan’s U-15 national football team defeated India 2-1 in the quarter-finals of Tier C at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan on Thursday.
The match marked Afghanistan’s eighth appearance in the competition, with the young Afghan side recording their fifth victory.
Afghanistan will face Hungary in the semi-finals of the placement competition for positions 81 to 88 later on Thursday.
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.
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