Sport
Perera, Fletcher power MI Emirates to top of ILT20 table after dominant win over Sharjah Warriors
MI Emirates romped home to victory over the Sharjah Warriors in the International League T20 on Friday night with a 106-run win.
The victory puts the Abu Dhabi franchise atop the ILT20 table after four matches, having won three of them, and gives them a massive net-run-rate boost, Arab News reported.
Two strong batting performances from Kusal Perera and Andre Fletcher, who both scored 42 runs, propelled MI Emirates to 180 for 7 after their 20 overs.
It was a woeful response from the Warriors, with only three players making it into double figures, and three wickets in the eighth over from Akeal Hosein saw them slump to 56-7 in reply.
“I felt like 170 would do the job for us,” MI Emirates captain Nicholas Pooran said post-match.
“It was a difficult to pitch to bat on, but the guys executed their skills really well with the ball, we worked really hard as a group in terms of our conversation, and this is the second game where we have bowled a team under 100, which is excellent.”
The Warriors’ final tally of 74 all out is the lowest total since the competition began last year.
“I still fully back the decision at the toss (to bowl first),” captain Tom-Kohler Cadmore said. “If you lose a lot of wickets at the top, you will struggle in the chase. We should not be losing too many wickets in the powerplay, it is about staying positive and keeping the same intent. And would hope to come back stronger for the next game.”
Player of the match Hosein described how his spell was all about making the right assessment. “I thought I would bowl fuller. Bowling the first over, I thought it was about execution. But it’s just about making the assessment. I had to spin more balls. It’s unfortunate that I was so close to picking up a hattrick.”
MI Emirates are in action again on Sunday in an all-Abu Dhabi clash against the Knight Riders, while the now bottom-of-the-table Warriors have a chance to bounce back against Desert Vipers also on Sunday.
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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