Sport
ATN signs deal to broadcast Afghanistan Futsal Premier League seasons 5 and 6
The first half of the fifth season is scheduled to begin on December 7 and run until December 31. The second half of the competition will start on January 10 and continue until February 6, 2027.
Ariana Radio & Television Network (ATN) and the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) signed an agreement in Kabul on Monday for the organization, production and broadcast of the fifth and sixth seasons of the Afghanistan Futsal Premier League.
The first half of the fifth season is scheduled to begin on December 7 and run until December 31. The second half of the competition will start on January 10 and continue until February 6, 2027.
A total of 10 teams are expected to compete in the upcoming season. Eight teams have so far been confirmed: Sadaqat FC, Norzad FC, Omid FC, Zaitoon FC, Zahir Asad FC, Etihad FC, Jawanan-e-Mihan and Pirouzi Panjshir. The remaining two teams will be announced later.
Sadaqat FC, last season’s champions, will return to defend their title, while two teams from the previous season, Deyar Sanayee and Arya Forj, have been relegated.
Farid Ahmad Yousafzai, Deputy Technical Director of the Afghanistan Futsal Committee, said the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system last season was a successful initiative that received positive attention both domestically and internationally.
He said organizers hope to use the technology differently this season in line with changes to futsal rules. According to Yousafzai, the new rules have so far been implemented in Italy’s Serie A and at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games, with Afghanistan’s Futsal Premier League set to become the third official competition to adopt them.
Yousafzai added that the changes will bring significant adjustments to refereeing. He also announced that Tamim Hosseini, a referee from Australia, is expected to arrive in Kabul on December 1. He will officiate alongside international referee Atiqullah Niyaze, and Khaliqyar Payman, who recently returned from an academy in Malaysia.
Hamidullah Sharifi, ATN’s Channel Manager and Head of Acquisitions, said the network has consistently sought to bring quality sports content to Afghan audiences. He expressed confidence that the upcoming season would offer improvements in both production quality and television coverage.