Sport
Usmon Toshev named new head coach of Afghanistan football team
Toshev has signed a one-year contract and succeeds Ashley Michael Westwood, the English coach who stepped down in August
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) on Monday announced Usmon Toshev from Uzbekistan had been appointed as the new head coach of the national football team.
Toshev, who has signed a one-year contract, succeeds Ashley Michael Westwood, the English coach who stepped down in August.
Toshev has previously served as the head coach of Tajikistan.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Toshev said he would focus on key issues including team cohesion, talent identification programs, and organizing training camps inside and outside Afghanistan.
He said his goal is to strengthen the position of the Afghanistan national football team on both regional and global levels.
Toshev graduated from Bukhara University in 1987 with a degree in sports education. Between 1988 and 1999 Toshev played for numerous clubs, both in Uzbekistan and abroad – in Russia, Hungary and Greece.
In 1994 Toshev made two appearances for the Uzbekistan national team, in matches against Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
He retired from playing football in 1999 but immediately went on to coach teams.
In 2000 he was appointed head coach of Bukhara; a post he held until 2008.
In 2006 he also coached the national team for a while, under Russian coach Valery Nepomnyashchy.
In 2009–2011 he was the head coach of another Uzbek club, Spartak Tashkent before moving on to Nasaf. In 2013, he coached Spartak Bukhara.
In 2014 and 2015 he was head coach of Afghanistan’s De Maiwand Atalan club before returning to Uzbekistan.
He has since coached Uzbekisan’s U16 team, Afghanistan’s Toofan Harrirud and in November 2018 he was appointed manager of the Tajikistan national under-23 football team and head coach of Tajikistan’s national team.
The groups and match-ups for the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to be the biggest sporting event in history, were unveiled on Friday during a high-profile Final Draw ceremony held in the United States capital, Washington DC.
In front of nearly 2,000 international guests and millions of viewers worldwide, FIFA revealed the 12 groups of four teams for the expanded 23rd edition of the tournament. The draw marks a major milestone as excitement continues to build across the three host nations — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — and the 16 host cities preparing for the event.
FIFA announced that the full schedule, including match venues and kick-off times for the tournament’s 104 games, will be released during a live global broadcast on Saturday, 6 December.
With nearly two million tickets already sold, FIFA says anticipation for the 2026 World Cup is rapidly rising.
There are 48 teams in next year’s World Cup — an expansion from the 32 teams of previous tournaments.
In the 25th match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Abu Muslim Farah secured a dominant 6-0 victory over Jawanan Perozi.
On Friday, in the 26th match, Istiqlal Kabul defeated Sarsabz Yashlar 3-1.
Tomorrow, in the 27th match, Arman FC will take on Sorkh Poshan Khafi at 10:00 AM, followed by the 28th match, where Sarafan Herat will face Ettifaq Khanzadah at 1:30 PM.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, giving football fans across the country the chance to experience the excitement and intensity of the Afghanistan Champions League throughout the season.
In the 23rd match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Arman FC put on a dominant and electrifying display, overpowering Aino Mina 6–0.
In Thursday’s 24th fixture, Khurasan Faryab took on Ettifaq Khanzadah and secured a solid 2–0 victory.
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s games, Jawanan Perozi will face Abu Muslim Farah at 10:00 a.m. in the 25th match, while Istiqlal Kabul meets Sarsabz Yashlar at 1:30 p.m. in the 26th encounter.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, giving fans across the country the opportunity to follow the excitement and energy of the Afghanistan Champions League throughout the season.
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