Futsal World Cup: Afghanistan going in to game against Paraguay ‘to win’

Afghanistan played Paraguay in a friendly in Tashkent ahead of the start of the World Cup. They tied 2-2

Published

2 years ago

September 25, 2024

Afghanistan will face Paraguay tonight, Wednesday September 25, in their Round of 16 match in this year’s Futsal World Cup.

This is Afghanistan’s debut in the tournament while Paraguay is a seven-time participant.

Ranked 13th in the world, Paraguay was the top team in Group A.

Afghanistan is ranked by FIFA as 30th in the world.

The match will take place at the Homa Arena stadium in Tashkent and kicks off at 7.30pm.

Afghanistan played Paraguay in a friendly in Tashkent ahead of the start of the World Cup. They tied 2-2.

Speaking ahead of the match, Afghanistan winger Farzad Mahmoodi said: “Afghanistan’s presence in the top 16 teams of the 2024 World Cup is a great honor for the people of Afghanistan.

“We had a friendly match against Paraguay before the start of the World Cup, which ended in a 2-2 draw. We hope that tonight will be our night.

“With the support of our fans in Huma Arena, we will go into the game to win.”

Paraguay’s coach Carlos Chilavert meanwhile pointed out that the team knows Afghanistan are a force to be reckoned with.

“We know Afghanistan are very tough opponents. When we arrived here, we played a friendly against them and it was really even, really tough.

“They are a very hard-working team, with very good technical players. We know what we’re up against. We will have to be at our best if we want to have a chance of going through.”

Fans across Afghanistan can tune in to watch all the action on Ariana Television tonight. ATN is the official broadcaster of the tournament and is broadcasting matches live.

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Arman FC crush Toofan Herat 4-0 in ACL clash

In stoppage time, Noah Ali Rustami added a fourth goal for Arman FC, sealing a 4-0 victory over Toofan Herat.

Published

13 hours ago

October 1, 2026

Ariana News

Arman FC recorded a 4-0 victory over Toofan Herat in the 33rd match of the sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League in Kabul on Thursday.

Playing at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium, Arman FC made a fast start, taking the lead in the second minute through Ahmad Jawad Wahedi.

The hosts continued to press for a second goal, with Malcolm Isaiah Shaw hitting the post in the fifth minute. Shaw found the net four minutes later to double Arman FC’s lead.

Arman FC continued to create opportunities before halftime, with Esmatullah Hadafmand testing the Toofan Herat defense in the 21st minute. The hosts went into the break 2-0 ahead.

Arman FC maintained its attacking pressure after the restart and extended the lead in the 57th minute when Shokorullah Kohi made it 3-0.

Noah Ali Rustami added a fourth goal in stoppage time to complete the 4-0 victory.

Malcolm Isaiah Shaw was named Player of the Match.

Arman FC will face Abu Muslim Farah in its next league match on October 5.

The sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League is being broadcast live on Ariana Television. Fans are encouraged to follow ATN’s social media pages for all updates, news and match highlights.

Khurasan Faryab and Ariana Khost settle for 1-1 draw

Published

16 hours ago

October 1, 2026

Ariana News

Khurasan Faryab and Ariana Khost played out a 1-1 draw in the 32nd match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Thursday.

The match was played at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium.

Rafiullah Mohammadi put Khurasan Faryab ahead in the closing minutes of the first half, giving his side a 1-0 lead at the break.

Ariana Khost stepped up the pressure in the second half, and their efforts paid off in the 84th minute when Omid Sarwari found the back of the net to level the score.

The two sides shared the points after neither team could find a winning goal.

Khurasan Faryab will face Sorkh Poshan Khafi on October 4, while Ariana Khost will take on Omar Zawak Herat on October 5.

All sixth-season Roshan Afghanistan Champions League matches are being broadcast live on Ariana Television.

Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai maintain top spots in ICC ODI rankings

Published

20 hours ago

October 1, 2026

Ariana News

Afghanistan’s cricket stars Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai have maintained their positions at the top of the latest ICC Men’s ODI rankings.

Rashid Khan remains the No. 1 ODI bowler in the world with 714 rating points.

Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed is second with 675 points, while South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj has moved up to third with 667 points.

New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner is fourth with 644 points, followed by India’s Kuldeep Yadav on 623.

Meanwhile, Azmatullah Omarzai continues to hold the top position in the ICC ODI all-rounder rankings with 337 points, giving Afghanistan two players at No. 1 in different ODI categories. Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe and Mehidy Hasan Miraz of Bangladesh follow him in the list.

Rashid and Omarzai have been key figures in Afghanistan’s rise in international cricket, with their performances contributing significantly to the team’s success across formats.