Sport

ICC U19 World Cup: Afghanistan beats Sri Lanka to reach the semi-final

Published

4 years ago

January 28, 2022

Afghanistan’s National Under-19 team beats Sri Lanka by four runs to secure a place in the semifinals of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2022.

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said in a statement that Afghanistan will play its next match against England at the North Sound of West Indies on February 1, 2022.

According to the statement, Afghanistan was put in to bat in overcast conditions. The openers scored 24 runs for no loss in 7 overs before the game was interrupted by rain, soon later the game was resumed again, from where the Sri Lankan bowlers started dominating the game by picking 4 wickets inside 3.5 overs to reduce Afghanistan from 24/0 in 10.5 to 26/4 in 13.4 overs.

“The left-arm middle-order batter Abdul Hadi alongside Allah Noor who bats right-handed at the top and middle order, fought hard to bat deep and bring as many runs as possible. The duo put on a 49-run partnership before Allah Noor fell to the opponent captain.”

“Noor Ahmad at the back end of the inning played an effective cameo (30 off 33) to lift Afghanistan’s total to 134. Both Noor Ahmad and Abdul Hadi were cut short, due to their wild slogging approach, otherwise, a little smoother and smarter thinking from both could have added 20-25 more runs to the total.”

Bilal Sami and Naweed Zadran, meanwhile, started brilliantly with the new ball as they conceded only 20 runs in the first 10 overs, picking up two wickets.

Naweed Zadran and Noor Ahmad added one more wicket each to their team’s tally, which were backed by some excellent and sharp fielding that handed the team more three run-outs to reduce the opponents to 43/7 in 17.1 overs.

“Sri Lankan Captain Dunith Wallegale alongside Raveen De Silva fought well to add 69 more runs together to their total. Just before they were to start finishing the game off, Nangyalai Kharoti removed the opponent skipper and Izharulhaq Naweed castle de Silva with a beautiful googly to leave them tottering at 116/9. The last pair added 14 more runs together to get their team close to the line before they mixed up while running a single and Mathew was short by yards while returning back to end a mouth-watering encounter in favor of Afghanistan by 4 runs,” the statement read.

For Afghanistan; Bilal Sami picked two, while Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Izharulhaq Naweed, and Naweed Zadran all took one wicket each. The rest four batters were run out following some electric fielding and direct hits from the fielders. The left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad was awarded as the Man of the Match for his important 30 runs and 1/20 off his 10 overs.

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Afghanistan U-15 team qualifies for FIFA U-15 World Cup

Published

54 minutes ago

June 30, 2026

Ariana News

The Afghanistan Football Federation announced on Tuesday that Afghanistan’s under-15 national football team has qualified for the FIFA U-15 World Cup, marking a significant achievement for the country’s youth football development.

According to the federation, the qualification comes as a result of sustained efforts and strategic planning aimed at strengthening grassroots football across Afghanistan.

The federation said the successful organization of under-14 competitions in different zones of the country helped pave the way for the U-15 national team to secure a place in the global tournament.

In a statement, the federation said the achievement also follows efforts by its leadership, particularly Mohammad Yousuf Kargar, who held discussions with officials of FIFA while emphasizing the development of youth football in Afghanistan.

The tournament, part of FIFA’s global talent development program, aims to nurture young players, improve technical ability, provide international exposure, and prepare the next generation of footballers.

The competition will take place in Azerbaijan from October 22 to 31, 2026, with under-15 teams from FIFA member nations set to participate.

Players born in 2011 and 2012 will be eligible for the tournament.

Matches will be played in an 8-versus-8 format designed to maximize ball involvement, develop individual skills, improve decision-making, and provide young players with valuable international competition experience.

Afghanistan’s participation is being seen as a major opportunity for the country’s emerging football talent to compete on the world stage and further elevate the profile of Afghan youth football.

Sport

Afghanistan, Uzbekistan set for friendly cricket clash in Khost

The match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.

Published

2 days ago

June 28, 2026

Ariana News

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that it will host Uzbekistan’s national cricket team for a one-off T20 international on July 10 at the Rahmat Wali Masroori Cricket Ground in Khost province.

According to the ACB, the match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.

The friendly match is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM, with an Afghan XI taking on the visiting Uzbek side. The game will be broadcast live across Afghanistan and internationally through various linear and digital platforms.

Quoted by the ACB, Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan said the board remains committed to supporting emerging cricket nations such as Uzbekistan and is ready to extend similar assistance to other countries seeking to develop the sport.

He noted that the ACB has already organized capacity-building programs and training workshops for members of the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan, while several Uzbek fast bowlers also participated in the ACB’s specialized Fast Bowling Camp last year.

Khan added that Uzbekistan has consistently maintained a friendly policy toward Afghanistan and that the two countries have strengthened cooperation in healthcare, politics, and trade in recent years. He said closer collaboration in cricket development would further deepen relations between the two neighboring nations.

Sport

Serbian Dejan Dedovic appointed head coach of Afghanistan national futsal team

Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.

Published

6 days ago

June 24, 2026

Ariana News

The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has appointed Serbian coach Dejan Dedovic as the new head coach of the national futsal team on a two-year contract.

The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by AFF officials, futsal committee members, technical staff, and sports journalists.

Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.

The federation also announced several additions to the national team’s coaching staff. Iran’s Javad Asghari Moqaddam has been appointed technical director, while Morteza Mansour Samaei will serve as goalkeeping coach. Spain’s Uriel Masana has joined as assistant coach, Iran’s Sadeq Amani as fitness coach, and Brazil’s Joao Lira as team analyst.

In addition, the AFF renewed the contract of Mohammad Nasir Sedaqat as manager of the national futsal team.

The federation said it expects the newly assembled coaching staff to contribute to the continued development of Afghan futsal and strengthen the team’s competitiveness at the regional and international levels.