Afghanistan’s national futsal team has departed Kabul for Vietnam as part of its preparations for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026.

Officials from the Futsal Committee of the Afghanistan Football Federation confirmed on Friday that the team will play two friendly matches against host nation Vietnam during the visit. The fixtures are aimed at sharpening the squad ahead of upcoming continental competition.

Following the matches in Vietnam, the Afghan team is scheduled to travel to Thailand to continue its training camp. In Thailand, Afghanistan will face the Thai national futsal team in two additional friendly matches.

The international fixtures form part of Afghanistan’s build-up to the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026, where the team has been drawn in Group C alongside Iran, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia.

Team officials said the friendlies will provide valuable match experience and help assess the squad’s readiness as Afghanistan prepares for the Asian tournament.

Afghanistan’s under-19 cricket team pulled off a notable upset at the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, defeating South Africa by 28 runs on Thursday.

The match, played as part of the tournament co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia, saw Afghanistan post a competitive total of 267 runs. In response, their bowlers delivered a disciplined performance to restrict South Africa and seal one of Afghanistan’s most significant victories of the competition.

The win boosts Afghanistan’s standing in the group stage and underlines the growing strength of their youth cricket program.

In other matches on Thursday, England defeated Pakistan by 37 runs, while Australia cruised past Ireland by eight wickets.

Afghanistan U-19 will next face the West Indies on Sunday. The final of the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is scheduled for February 6.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has approved a new policy limiting national players to participate in only three international franchise leagues per year, in addition to the upcoming five-team Afghanistan Premier League (APL), which is set to start around October 2026 in the UAE, the board announced at its annual general meeting in Kabul.

According to the ACB, the measure is designed to protect player fitness and mental well-being, manage workload, and ensure peak performance during national duties.

Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and Rahmanullah Gurbaz are among key players that feature in foreign leagues.

Afghanistan’s next international series is a three-match T20I against West Indies in the UAE, ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India.