Afghanistan’s national futsal team wrapped up its campaign at the Continental Futsal Championship with an emphatic 6-1 victory over New Zealand in its fourth and final match of the tournament.

The match, played on Thursday in Bangkok, Thailand, marked Afghanistan’s first and only win of the competition. Omid Qanbari scored twice, while Javad Haidari, Mehran Gholami and other teammates added to the tally in one of Afghanistan’s strongest performances of the tournament.

Afghanistan entered the match after defeats to Thailand and Vietnam and a hard-fought draw against Russia. The team finished the tournament with one win, one draw and two defeats.

The Continental Futsal Championship, held in Bangkok from August 1 to 6, featured five national teams competing in a round-robin format.

Although Afghanistan did not advance further in the tournament, the competition provided valuable experience against higher-ranked opponents and served as an important step in the team’s preparations for upcoming international competitions.

In recent years, Afghanistan has continued to make steady progress in futsal, with the national team focusing on strengthening its squad, improving its international competitiveness and enhancing its presence in Asian futsal.

Afghanistan secured its first point of the Continental Futsal Championship after battling to an exciting 3-3 draw against Russia in one of the tournament’s most thrilling matches.

In a fast-paced encounter, Afghanistan showed remarkable determination against one of the competition’s strongest teams. Russia took the lead on multiple occasions, but Afghanistan responded each time to keep the match alive. The Afghans then took a 3-2 lead after scoring their third goal, before Russia found the equalizer to make it 3-3.

Both sides created numerous scoring opportunities and delivered an entertaining display of attacking futsal, with end-to-end action keeping fans on the edge of their seats throughout the game.

The draw marks a significant result for Afghanistan after opening the tournament with a 6-1 loss to hosts Thailand and a narrow 2-1 defeat to Vietnam. The hard-earned point against Russia reflects the team’s resilience and growing confidence as the championship progresses.

Afghanistan will face New Zealand in their next match later today (Thursday).

Afghanistan will begin their five-match One-Day International (ODI) series against Ireland today, with the opening match taking place at Bready Cricket Club in Northern Ireland.

The series marks an important step in both teams’ preparations for future ICC tournaments, including the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup. Afghanistan arrive as the higher-ranked side and will be looking to continue their strong record against Ireland in the 50-over format.

Led by captain Rahmat Shah, Afghanistan boast an experienced squad featuring a powerful batting line-up and one of the world’s most effective spin attacks.

Ireland, playing on home soil, will be aiming to use familiar conditions to challenge the visitors and make a strong start to the series.

Today’s match gets underway at 1:30 p.m. Kabul time, with overcast conditions and the possibility of light rain forecast during the day.

Any interruptions are expected to be brief, while the conditions could assist the seam bowlers early before the pitch becomes more favourable for batting as the match progresses.

Both teams will be eager to secure an early advantage in what is expected to be a competitive five-match contest.

Based on recent form, head-to-head record and squad strength, Afghanistan enter the opening ODI as favourites, with an estimated 65% chance of victory, while Ireland are given a 35% chance of pulling off an upset.

The five-match ODI series will be played between August 5 and August 15, with matches scheduled at Bready Cricket Club and Stormont in Belfast.

Ariana Television Network (ATN) will broadcast today’s match live across Afghanistan on Ariana Television.  (edited)