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.
Sport
Afghanistan crushes India 93–26 at IWBF Asia Oceania Championships
Afghanistan’s wheelchair basketball team earned its second consecutive victory at the 2025 IWBF Asia Oceania Championships on Monday, defeating India 93–26.
Earlier, Afghanistan had triumphed over New Zealand in their opening match.
The tournament features men’s teams from 14 countries, including Australia, China, Iran, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.
Afghanistan is set to play Iraq next on Tuesday.
Sport
Türkiye leads Riyadh 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games medal table
Uzbekistan sits in second place with a total of 16 medals – 4 gold, 8 silver and 4 bronze.
Türkiye is currently dominating the medal table at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games – Riyadh 2025, with 36 in total, including 26 gold medals, 6 silvers and 4 bronze
Uzbekistan sits in second place with a total of 16 medals – 4 gold, 8 silver and 4 bronze.
Nigeria, Indonesia and Kazakhstan are in third, fourth and fifth place respectively.
Afghanistan has not yet clinched a medal but with 69 athletes representing the country, across 13 sports, spirits are high that some medals will be brought home with the team.
Afghanistan’s athletes at the Games will participate in in athletics (2), boxing (2), futsal (14), ju-jitsu (7), karate (3), muay thai (2), swimming (4), table tennis (2), taekwondo (5), volleyball (12), weightlifting (4), wrestling (9), and wushu (3).
This marks Afghanistan’s largest-ever team at the Islamic Solidarity Games, reflecting renewed national investment in sports development and international competition.
The 2025 edition of the Games will also mark the 25th anniversary of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association, underscoring the event’s role in promoting unity, cultural exchange, and peace among Muslim nations.
Ariana Television Network (ATN) is Afghanistan’s official broadcaster for the Games, and fans across the country can tune in daily to watch this exciting tournament live.
The Islamic Solidarity Games 2025 officially got underway in Riyadh on Friday, November 7, and will close on November 21.
The games will feature approximately 3,500 athletes from 57 member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation competing in 21 sports and 2 para sports. The event returns to Saudi Arabia after 20 years, as the inaugural games were held there in 2005.
Sport
Morocco defeats Afghanistan 4–0 in Islamic Solidarity Games futsal tournament
The Morocco national futsal team defeated Afghanistan 4–0 in the ongoing Islamic Solidarity Games held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
This was Afghanistan’s third match in the tournament. Earlier, the Afghan team defeated Tajikistan and held Iran to a draw, showing strong form before facing Morocco.
Despite the loss, Afghanistan remains a competitive side in the regional futsal championship, demonstrating growing potential in the sport.
The Islamic Solidarity Games features more than 3,000 athletes from 57 Islamic countries competing across 19 sporting disciplines.
Ariana Television Network (ATN) holds the exclusive broadcasting rights in Afghanistan for the Riyadh 2025 Games.
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