Sport

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

Published

11 months ago

June 26, 2024

Ariana News

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.

South Africa edge West Indies to reach World Cup semi-finals

Up Next

‘It is just the beginning for us’, says Rashid Khan after T20 World Cup semi against South Africa

Don't Miss

Semi-final schedule confirmed for T20 World Cup

Sport

Fans thrilled to hear FIFA Club World Cup will be broadcast live by ATN

One fan said it “will feel like the world’s biggest stage is right in my living room — pure joy, pure passion, pure football!”

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2025

Ariana News

Last Updated on: May 16, 2025

Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) is excited to announce that it has secured the rights to broadcast yet another international sporting event in Afghanistan – this time the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

Matches will be broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television for football fans across Afghanistan.

This electrifying tournament is definitely not one to miss and with just 30 days to go before it kicks off excitement is growing around the world.

ATN has a long-standing partnership with FIFA, among other key sports bodies. Securing the rights to broadcast the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup is in line with ATN’s commitment to bringing international sporting events into the homes of all Afghans across the country.

Launched in 2005, ATN is a private television network based in Kabul, Afghanistan and offers coverage in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

Football fans in Afghanistan meanwhile welcomed the news on Thursday that they will be able to watch matches live on Ariana Television.

One football fan from Kabul, Sayed, thanked ATN for its action-packed sporting schedule on Ariana Television.

He said, “This is great news. We enjoy these international sporting events so much and now, after the IPL, we have the Club World Cup to look forward to.”

Another football fan from Kabul, Saboor, also welcomed the news. “The day I can watch the FIFA Club World Cup on Ariana TV in Afghanistan will be unforgettable. The cheers, the flags, the pride of seeing the world’s best clubs right from my home. “It will feel like the whole world of football has come closer, and for a moment, everything will be about joy, unity, and the love of the game!”

Ahmad, another fan from Kabul, was just as excited about getting the news. He said being able to watch the FIFA Club World Cup on Ariana Television “will feel like the world’s biggest stage is right in my living room — pure joy, pure passion, pure football.”

This global tournament, which will see 32 of the world’s best football clubs battle it out for top place, kicks off on Saturday, June 14, in Miami, in the United States.

A total of 12 venues will be used to host the 63 matches, which will be played across the United States. The final will be at the MetLife Stadium in New York, New Jersey on July 13.

The club sides are from each of the six international confederations: AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA.

List of qualified teams for 2025 Club World Cup

Europe

Manchester City
Real Madrid
Chelsea
Bayern Munich
Paris Saint-Germain
Inter Milan
Porto
Benfica
Borussia Dortmund
Juventus
Red Ball Salzburg
Atletico Madrid

Oceania

Auckland City

South America

Palmeiras
Flamengo
Fluminense
River Plate
Boca Juniors
Botafogo (Copa Libertadores winner)

North America

Monterrey
Seattle Sounders
Pachuca
Inter Miami (host nation slot)

A replacement to be announced in due course after Club Leon were removed from the tournament after failing to meet criteria on multi-club ownership.

Africa

Al Ahly
Wydad
Esperance de Tunis
Mamelodi Sundowns

Asia

Al Hilal
Urawa Red Diamonds
Al Ain
Ulsan HD

When is the Club World Cup draw?

The draw for the 2025 Club World Cup took place on December 5, 2024.

Club World Cup draw in full

Group A: Palmeiras (Brz), Porto (Por), Al Ahly (Egy), Inter Miami (USA)
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain (Fra), Atletico Madrid (Esp), Botafogo (Brz), Seattle Sounders (USA)
Group C: Bayern Munich (Ger), Benfica (Por), Boca Juniors (Arg), Auckland City (Nzl)
Group D: Flamengo (Brz), Chelsea (Eng), Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tun), Club Leon removed from competition, replacement TBC
Group E: River Plate (Arg), Inter Milan (Ita), CF Monterrey (Mex), Urawa Red Diamonds (Jpn)
Group F: Fluminense (Brz), Borussia Dortmund (Ger), Ulsan HD (Kor), Mamelodi Sundowns (Rsa)
Group G: Man City (Eng), Juventus (Ita), Wydad AC (Mor), Al Ain (UAE)
Group H: Real Madrid (Esp), FC Salzburg (Aut), Al Hilal (Rsa), CF Pachuca (Mex)

Afghan Fan Zone

Fans across Afghanistan can stay up-to-date on news, information and schedules by following Ariana News and Ariana Television’s websites and social media pages.

Sport

FIFA OKs creation of Afghanistan women’s refugee team

Published

1 week ago

May 10, 2025

Ariana News

FIFA has approved the creation of an Afghanistan women’s refugee team that will compete in matches overseen by the world governing body.

According to FIFA, the team — composed of female players of Afghan nationality who obtained refugee status abroad — would first operate under a one-year pilot phase, which will help the organization determine the long-term viability of the program, Reuters reported.

The FIFA Council must approve the team’s establishment. Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, called the approval a “landmark” moment, adding that “FIFA is committed to giving every girl the possibility to play football.”

FIFA regulations require teams to receive recognition by a national federation in order to compete. The Afghan Football Federation, however, has not acknowledged its women’s teams, in fact banning all women’s sports across the country.

Afghanistan has not had a women’s side compete in an official match since 2018.

Sport

India suspends Indian Premier League T20 cricket tournament

Published

1 week ago

May 9, 2025

Ariana News

India’s cricket board has suspended the money-spinning Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 tournament amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, Reuters reported on Friday.

Thursday’s IPL match was abandoned midway after fighting began in India’s border regions, but the cricket board attributed the disruption to a power failure at the stadium in the hill city of Dharamsala.

The world’s richest cricket tournament began its current season on March 22, and the final fixture was scheduled to be played on May 25, with matches being spread over 13 venues across the country.

The nuclear-armed neighbours have been locked in conflict since Wednesday, when India targeted multiple locations in Pakistan, claiming they were “terrorist infrastructure” in response to a deadly attack in Kashmir last month.

New Delhi named two Pakistani nationals as suspects and accused Islamabad of being involved in the attack, a charge Pakistan denied and sought an independent probe.

India’s army said Pakistan’s armed forces carried out “multiple attacks” using drones and other munitions across the entire western border on Thursday night and early Friday, a claim Pakistan denied.