Afghanistan national football team

The Afghan national football team of men (Persian شیران خراسان the Lions of Khorasan ) is a selection of Afghan soccer players ( AFF ) represents the Afghan Football Federation at the international level.

History

The national team, which performs as a nickname the Lions of Khorasan, played their first game in 1941, the Afghan National Stadium, the Ghazi Stadium in Kabul. The game finished 0-0 against neighboring Iran. In 1948, at the Association of FIFA. The first Asian Games Afghanistan reached in 1951 after defeats in the semi-final against India and in the match for third place against Japan in fourth place among four participants. The other matches were until 1984 all qualifiers for the Asian Cup. By 1984 the national team reached no victory, and in addition to the 0:0 in the first international match still draw against Qatar (1:1, 1975), Bangladesh ( 2:2, 1979) and against Hong Kong (0:0, 1984). The 0-0 draw with Hong Kong on September 20, 1984 was the last international game for a long time.

The communist regime and even more the Taliban government prevented for 18 years, a further development: From 1984 to 2002 ( at the Asian Games in Busan, Korea ), there was no international obligation to play an Afghan team. After the U.S. defeat of the regime in 2001 began a wide promotion of football as a popular sport on the part of FIFA and Western states, which showed the popularity of the sport and its potential for social balance and eventually led to the reorganization of a national team.

The first victory ever won the team in March 2003 against Kyrgyzstan in a qualification match for the Asia Cup 2-1. The senior team also participated in the World Cup qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup, but failed already in the first round against Turkmenistan ( 0:11 and 0:2 ).

A number of Afghan national team plays or played in the German amateur football, including Djelaludin Sharityar, Obaidulla Karimi, Yusuf Barak Said Daftari, Harez Habib, Ata Yamrali, Milad Salem, Mansur Faqiryar, Saboor Khalili and Mustafa Hadid.

The greatest success of the Afghan national team shank history until 2013 was reaching the finals of the South Asian Federation Cup 2011, where one with a 8:1 also celebrated the biggest win of history in the group match against Bhutan.

Early 2013 was the sports director of the Afghan national football team announced that they want to organize the construction of U- teams. But be traveling through Europe for the first time in history, scouting teams, is started in Hamburg.

The team is in the official FIFA world rankings with the 139th rank currently their best ever placing, with her - to have discharged without games - two places from the previous month gutmachte (April 2013).

A match between the national teams of Afghanistan and Pakistan took place in the AFF Stadium on 20 August 2013. It was the first home game after ten years for the Afghans. You won it 3-0.

On September 11, 2013 Afghanistan won for the first time the South Asian Federation Cup after a 2-0 victory in the final against India, what is the biggest success in history.

Participation of Afghanistan at the Olympic Games

Participation of Afghanistan at the Football World Cup

Turkmenistan First leg: 0-2 Second leg: 0:11 Total: 0:13

Syria First leg: 0-3 Second leg: 1:2 Total: 1:5

Palestinian Territories First leg: 0-2 Second leg: 1:1 Total: 1:3

Participation of Afghanistan at the Asian Cup

Participation of Afghanistan in the South Asian Championships

Participation of Afghanistan at the AFC Challenge Cup

2006 - Preliminary Round
2008 - Preliminary
2010 - did not take part
2012 - does not qualify
2014 - qualified