Sport
Official match ball unveiled for Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024
The new match ball will make its official debut when the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024™ kicks off in Bukhara and the capital Tashkent on 14 September
Excitement about this year’s FIFA Futsal World Cup™ in Uzbekistan is building after FIFA and adidas unveiled the tournament’s official match ball.
Drawing on the event’s ‘Masters of Speed’ motto, the design reflects the fast-paced nature of futsal, as well as Uzbekistan’s rich cultural heritage.
Five eye-catching interpretations of kalampir peppers – a key ingredient in traditional Uzbek cuisine – adorn the ball, each one masterfully crafted in a way that represents a player in motion, never standing still, just like on the futsal pitch.
The capsicum also forms a striking part of the competition’s Official Emblem, which is shaped like the FIFA Futsal World Cup trophy, with five forms of the kalampir peppers forming a ball at the top.
The new match ball will make its official debut when the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024™ – the first FIFA tournament to be held in Central Asia – kicks off in Bukhara and the capital Tashkent on 14 September.
The eastern city of Andijan completes the trio of host cities for the 24-team competition.
The 2024 edition will be the 10th in FIFA Futsal World Cup history and will run until 6 October.
Futsal has grown rapidly in Uzbekistan – and across Central Asia – over the last decade.
The White Wolves participated in the FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time in 2016 and went on to reach the knockout phase in 2021, losing one of the most pulsating games in the tournament’s history 9-8 to IR Iran in the last 16.
Uzbekistan will be joined at the competition by all four former champions – Argentina, Brazil, Portugal and Spain – and four debutants in Afghanistan, France, New Zealand and Tajikistan.
Angola, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Guatemala, Iran, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, the Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Thailand, Ukraine and Venezuela round out the line-up, having successfully negotiated a 121-team qualifying field.
Earlier this year, the first-ever FIFA Futsal World Ranking was published for both the men’s and the women’s game, with the top six teams – Brazil, Portugal, Spain, IR Iran, Argentina and Morocco – heading to Uzbekistan next month.
The launch of the ranking was a major milestone and reinforced futsal’s position as a rapidly-expanding version of the beautiful game, which more countries than ever before are playing.
Futsal has also grown in popularity in Afghanistan over the past few years and in line with this, Ariana Television will broadcast matches live in Afghanistan.
The national team’s first match will be played on September 15 and will see Afghanistan face Angola.
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.
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.
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.
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