The Afghanistan national futsal team played to a 2–2 draw with Iran in their second match of the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh on Thursday.

Sayed Mujtaba Hosseini and Mahdi Nowruzi were on target for Afghanistan.

Having defeated Tajikistan in their opening game of the tournament, Afghanistan will face Morocco in their final group-stage match next Saturday.

Afghanistan’s national futsal team will take on Iran in its second group-stage match at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh on Thursday, following a strong start to the tournament with a 9–5 victory over Tajikistan earlier this week.

In their opening game, Afghanistan delivered an energetic performance, taking a commanding lead in the first half before conceding five goals in a tense second period. The win marked the team’s first in the competition and is expected to boost morale ahead of Thursday’s high-profile clash with regional powerhouse Iran.

Afghanistan shares its group with Iran, Morocco, and Tajikistan, as part of a tournament featuring more than 3,000 athletes from 57 Islamic countries competing across 19 sporting disciplines.

The Islamic Solidarity Games aim to foster unity and cooperation among Islamic nations through sport while encouraging cultural and athletic exchange.

The match against Iran is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. (Kabul time) at The Green Halls within the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Olympic Complex in Riyadh.

Ariana Television Network (ATN) holds the exclusive broadcasting rights for the Riyadh 2025 Games, marking a significant step forward for Afghan sports media. The network will air live coverage of Afghanistan’s matches, giving fans nationwide the opportunity to follow the team’s progress.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the national squad for the upcoming Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to take place from November 14 to 23 in Doha, Qatar.

The defending champions, AfghanAbdalyan, will once again be led by Darwish Rasooli, who captained the side to their maiden title in the previous edition of the tournament.

The 15-member squad includes 10 players from last year’s victorious campaign, underlining the selectors’ faith in the core group that delivered Afghanistan its first Rising Stars Asia Cup title. Among the retained names are Sediqullah Atal, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Zubaid Akbari, Mohammad Ishaq, Qais Ahmad, and Nangyal Kharoti.

Promising young pacer Abdullah Ahmadzai, who recently made his T20I debut in the home series against Zimbabwe, has earned a place in the side following impressive performances at the international level.

Announcing the squad, ACB CEO Naseeb Khan expressed confidence in the team’s ability to replicate last year’s success.

“AfghanAbdalyan have emerged victorious in the previous edition of the event and will be defending their title during this year’s event in Doha,” Khan said. “We cherish the memories from last year, and with the aim of retaining the title, we have named our squad. I am confident the team will perform well and bring pride to the nation once again.”

AfghanAbdalyan have been placed in Pool B alongside Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh A, and Hong Kong, China.
They will open their campaign against Sri Lanka A on November 15, followed by fixtures against Bangladesh A on November 17 and Hong Kong, China on November 19. The semi-finals and final are scheduled for November 21 and November 23, respectively, in Doha.

Afghanistan Squad

Darwish Rasooli (C), Sediqullah Atal (VC), Noor Rahman (WK), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Zubaid Akbari, Imran Mir, Rahmanullah Zadran, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Nangyal Kharoti, Farmanullah Safi, Qais Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Faridoon Dawoodzai.
Reserves: Wafiullah Tarakhil, Sediqullah Pacha, Yama Arab.