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History in the making as Afghanistan face South Africa in their ICC T20 World Cup semi-final

South Africa’s former president Nelson Mandela saw sport as a unifying mechanism that could lessen divisions between the people

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Afghanistan and South Africa are set to face off early Thursday in the first semi-final of this year’s T20 World Cup and whichever team wins will make history, as neither have ever played in an ICC T20 World Cup final.

For Afghanistan, the mere thought of making it this far in the tournament was a pipe dream just a few years ago.

However, the team has taken the world by surprise and risen up through the T20 ranks at a meteoric pace.

Since being granted international status in 2011, Afghanistan’s success in just 13 years is testimony to the Afghan cricketing fraternity and the players’ resilience and commitment to the game.

Excitement ahead of the match was almost palpable by Wednesday afternoon with social media platforms buzzing with anticipation for a potential India vs Afghanistan final.

Thousands of users expressed their support for Rashid Khan and his men, a team that has carried the tag of “underdog” for quite some time. While others leaned more towards an India vs South Africa final, an “underdog” win on a global sport stage is not unheard of.

In fact South Africa, also once considered an underdog, pulled off an incredible win in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, after having been in global isolation for years, due to sanctions leveled against the former apartheid government.

This Rugby World Cup had been the first major sporting event to take place in South Africa following the end of apartheid and it was the first Rugby World Cup in which South Africa was allowed to compete.

Today, that match stands as a hugely symbolic moment in South African history.

‘One Team, One Country’ – Nelson Mandela’s slogan to forge unity among a divided nation in 1995

The president at the time, Nelson Mandela, used the opportunity to orchestrate a show of unity among the people of a deeply divided nation by using the slogan “One Team, One Country.”

The former government’s policy of apartheid along with its gross human rights violations had long made South Africa an international pariah and from 1964 to 1992 the country was banned from most global sporting events including the Olympic Games.

Mandela however saw the rugby world cup as a way to help lessen divisions between Black and White South Africans and foster a shared national pride – especially as the country was host to this global event. 

By the time South Africa made it to the final, against New Zealand, the nation had rallied in support of the team, put aside their differences, and were rooting wholeheartedly for their country.

Since then, South Africa has gone on to become a global powerhouse in rugby and in cricket, with countless players earning international respect by playing for foreign clubs and leagues.

To a degree, parallels can almost be drawn between South Africa’s history and Afghanistan’s current situation.

For years, cricket in Afghanistan was considered a Pashtun game, just like Black South Africans originally considered rugby to be a game played exclusively by White South Africans.

But this perception in Afghanistan has changed considerably over the past 10 years. After each victory, each milestone, and each successful sale of a player to one or other cricket league, the Afghanistan fan base has grown.

Today, millions of fans watch the matches on TV, they follow the team and players on social media, and hundreds of thousands of Afghan children look up to national players such as Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz to name just a few.

Afghanistan after beating Bangladesh earlier this week

It’s these players who are the role models, the heroes, who have against all odds risen up through the debris of war and taken the cricketing world by storm.

The power of sport as a uniting force was clear after the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

In his biography, Mandela, Martin Meredith wrote: “The whole of South Africa erupted in celebration, Blacks as joyful as the Whites.”

“Never before had Blacks had cause to show such pride in the efforts of their White countrymen. It was a moment of national fusion that Mandela had done much to inspire.”

Following South Africa’s victory, Mandela donned a Springbok rugby shirt and cap and proudly presented the trophy to the South African captain Francois Pienaar.

Years later, when Mandela died, Pienaar said that “when the final whistle blew, this country changed forever.”

South Africa’s former president Nelson Mandela hands Francois Pienaar the 1995 Rugby World Cup trophy

It was this display of unity, through sport, that crossed race, tribal and religious lines, and left instead “One Team, One Country”.

In the spirit of Mandela’s words and wisdom, one can understand what Afghanistan’s team captain Rashid Khan was alluding to in his video message on Wednesday when he called on the country, on Afghans at home and around the world, to support their team, and to keep them in their prayers.

But no matter the outcome of the T20 semi-final match on Thursday, the Afghanistan team are already winners in the eyes of millions of fans after having carved out their slice of history – by proving to be worthy of a nation’s pride and unquestionable support. 

Fans across the country can tune in to Ariana Television on Thursday morning from 4.30am for the pre-match show. The match will be broadcast from 5am live and exclusively on Ariana Television. 

 


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Ariana Snooker Championship 2025: Day Two Highlights

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The second day of the Ariana Snooker Championship 2025 delivered thrilling performances and dominant victories.

In the fifth match, Zulmai Salamkhil showcased his mastery of the game, securing a commanding 4-0 victory over Ismail Mohammadi. Salamkhil’s precision and strategic play left no room for his opponent to recover.

The sixth match saw Ajmal Yousofzai in top form as he outclassed Haseebullah Sultani with a flawless 4-0 win. Yousofzai’s consistent breaks and tactical prowess ensured a swift and decisive victory.

In the seventh match, Mohammad Mir Noorzai faced off against the promising 13-year-old Ibrahim Mohammadi. Despite the young talent’s spirited effort, Noorzai’s experience prevailed as he clinched the match 4-1.

The day concluded with an impressive performance by Nader Rohani, who dominated the youngest competitor, Mohammad Osman Mohammadi, with a clean sweep of 4-0.

Rohani’s composure and skill were on full display, marking a strong finish to the day’s events.

Follow Ariana News, Ariana Television and Ariana Sport social media pages for schedules and updates.

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Afghan cricket team arrives in Pakistan; Ghazanfar ruled out due to injury

The ICC meanwhile said on Wednesday that Afghanistan has confirmed its spinner swap for the event.

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Afghanistan’s national cricket team arrived in Lahore, Pakistan, on Wednesday, ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy which gets underway next week.

Players and support staff touched down in the country on Wednesday morning. The team will enjoy a day of rest before starting their practise sessions on Thursday.

Their first match is scheduled for Friday, February 21 at the National Stadium Karachi.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 marks the tournament’s return after an eight-year hiatus and is set to kick off on Wednesday February 19.

As the host nation and defending champions, Pakistan will compete against seven of the world’s best teams to retain their title.

The eight teams are divided into two groups for the tournament’s opening stage. Each team will play three group-stage matches, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals.

Group A features Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and New Zealand, while Group B includes Afghanistan, England, Australia, and South Africa.

The tournament opener will see the home team, Pakistan, face New Zealand on February 19th in Karachi. However, India will play all their matches in Dubai, citing security concerns as the reason for not traveling to Pakistan.

Afghanistan squad

The ICC meanwhile said on Wednesday that Afghanistan has confirmed its spinner swap for the event.

Teenage spinner AM Ghazanfar has been ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury. Left-armer Nangyal Kharoti has been drafted into the squad as a replacement.

Ghazanfar’s absence is a blow to Afghanistan’s spin department as they are already missing experienced spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

“Afghanistan’s young spin-bowling sensation, AM Ghazanfar, has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy due to a fracture in the L4 vertebra,” the team confirmed in a statement.

Ghazanfar sustained the injury during Afghanistan’s recent tour to Zimbabwe and is expected to be sidelined for at least four months.

“Nangyal Kharoti, who was part of the reserves pool, has been promoted to the main squad for the Champions Trophy. Additionally, Mujeeb Ur Rahman continues to miss the ODI action, until he has fully recovered,” the statement read.

Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami

Afghanistan’s Group Stage Fixtures:

  • 21 February – Afghanistan vs South Africa, Karachi
  • 26 February – Afghanistan vs England, Lahore
  • 28 February – Afghanistan vs Australia, Lahore
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Ariana Snooker Championship 2025: Day 1 Highlights

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The Ariana Snooker Championship 2025 kicked off in Afghanistan today, Tuesday February 11, with thrilling matches at the top level.

In the opening match, Afghanistan’s No. 1 ranking player Saleh Mohammad Mohammadi dominated the game, defeating Sahil Ebrahimi 4-1 to secure a spot in the next round.

The second match saw the country’s No. 2, Naweed Naderi, showcase his skills, effortlessly beating Iqbal Hasas 4-0.

Ali Ahmad followed suit, overcoming Mohammad Sadeq Mohammadi 4-2 in a well-fought contest.

The day’s final match saw Mohammad Rais Hotak deliver a commanding performance, dispatching Ali Sakhi with a 4-0 victory.

The week-long tournament, which runs from February 11 to 17, features the country’s top 16 snooker players who are competing for the prestigious title.

The matches will be broadcast live on Ariana Television in Afghanistan and will be live streamed on arianatelevision.com; Ariana Sport Facebook page and Ariana Sport YouTube Channel.

Match line up for Wednesday, February 12

ATN will start broadcasting the event live and exclusively from 3pm on Wednesday.

Match 1, 2, 3 and 4 took place on Tuesday.

Match 5 will see Zulmai Salamkhil play Ismail Mohammadi at 3pm.

Match 6 is between Ajmal Yousofzai and Haseebullah Sultani.

Match 7 will feature Mohammad Mir Noorzai and Ibrahim Mohammadi.

Match 8, the last in the group stage, will be between Nadir Khan Rohani and M. Usman Mohammadi.

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