Afghanistan national football team

Early history

Afghanistan at the 1976 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament

Afghanistan played its first official international match under FIFA at the 1948 Summer Olympics, where it faced Luxembourg on 26 July and lost 6–0.

Before 2002, the last recorded international appearance for the team was in the 1984 AFC Asian Cup qualification, where they lost 6–1 to Jordan on 20 September. The team did not participate in international football between 1984 and 2002 due to political instability, including the Soviet invasion, civil war, and Taliban rule, which banned recreational activities such as football.^[5]

2002–2009

Following the fall of the Taliban regime, Afghanistan re-entered the international football scene in 2002.

In 2003, the national team competed in the 2003 SAFF Gold Cup, but suffered defeats in all group stage matches against India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Later that year, Afghanistan took part in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification, managing a win against Kyrgyzstan but falling short after a loss to Nepal, thus failing to advance. The team also entered the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time, where they were eliminated by Turkmenistan with a 13–0 aggregate score.

In the 2005 SAFF Gold Cup held in Karachi, Pakistan, Afghanistan was defeated by the Maldives.^[6] During the inaugural 2006 AFC Challenge Cup, the team earned draws against both Chinese Taipei and the Philippines, with goals from Hafizullah Qadami and Sayed Maqsood Hashemi securing the results.

In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, Afghanistan was knocked out by Syria. The team participated in the 2008 SAFF Championship, where they lost to Bhutan and drew with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. However, they managed to top their qualification group for the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup but were eliminated in the final tournament after three consecutive defeats to India, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.^[7]

In the 2009 SAFF Championship, Afghanistan lost all three group matches—against Maldives, India, and Nepal—with their sole goal of the tournament scored by Hashmatullah Barakzai in a 3–1 loss to the Maldives.^[8]

2010–2019

Afghanistan entered their third World Cup qualification campaign and faced Palestine in the preliminary round. The first leg was played in Tajikistan due to security concerns and ended in defeat. The second leg in Palestine ended in a 1–1 draw, with Balal Arezou scoring for Afghanistan, resulting in their elimination.

2011 SAFF Championship runners-up

In the 2011 SAFF Championship, Afghanistan achieved a dominant 8–1 victory over Bhutan, marking their second-biggest win in history. Balal Arezou scored four goals in that match. Afghanistan advanced to the semi-finals for the first time, defeating Nepal 1–0 after extra time, with Arezou scoring in the 101st minute. In the final, they lost 4–0 to India.

Afghanistan progressed from the first round of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification by defeating Bhutan over two legs. In the second round, they were eliminated after losses to Nepal and North Korea, despite a win over Sri Lanka.

2013 SAFF Championship winners

See also: 2013 SAFF Championship Final

Faqiryar

Ataie

Amiri (C)

Hadid

Faiz

Barekzay

Mashriqi

Marouf

Azadzoy

Arezou

Ahmadi

2013 SAFF Championship Final starting lineup on 11 September 2013, in Dasarath Stadium (Kathmandu, Nepal).

Afghanistan entered the 2013 SAFF Championship as the highest FIFA-ranked team in the tournament, standing at 139th globally. They opened the competition with a dominant 3–0 victory over Bhutan, with goals scored by Amiri—regarded as one of Afghanistan's greatest players—Azadzoy, and Barakzai.

In their second group stage match, they continued their strong form with a 3–1 win over Sri Lanka, thanks to goals from Rafi, Amiri, and Barakzai.

In the semi-finals, Afghanistan faced host nation Nepal and secured a hard-fought 1–0 win, with Sandjar Ahmadi scoring the only goal in the 11th minute.

The final was a rematch of the 2011 edition against India.^[9] This time, Afghanistan prevailed with a 2–0 victory, claiming their first-ever international football title and marking a historic moment for Afghan football.^[10]

Afghanistan reached the semi-finals of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup but lost 2–0 to eventual champions Palestine. In the third-place match, they drew 1–1 with the Maldives and lost 8–7 in a penalty shootout. On 10 June 2014, the Afghanistan Football Federation moved from the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) to the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA). Later that year, the federation received the FIFA Fair Play Award at the 2014 Ballon d'Or Gala for its efforts to promote football under difficult circumstances.

On 9 February 2015, Slaven Skeledžić was appointed as head coach. The team started the qualifiers with a 6–0 loss to Syria but earned its first-ever World Cup qualification victory against Cambodia. After a poor run of results, Skeledžić resigned in October 2015. Peter Segrt took over in November and led the team to another win over Cambodia, 3–0.^[11] On 27 April 2015 the AFF signed a contract with a new sponsor called Alokozay Group of Companies.^[12][13]

2015 SAFF Championship runners-up

See also: 2015 SAFF Championship Final

This tournament marked Afghanistan's final appearance in the SAFF Championship before moving to CAFA. The team won all its group stage matches—beating Bangladesh 4–0, Bhutan 3–0, and Maldives 4–1. In the semi-final, they defeated Sri Lanka 5–0. The final was a rematch with India, which Afghanistan lost 2–1 after extra time.

Following the SAFF Championship, Afghanistan had a chance to qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup through expanded qualifiers. After a second heavy loss to Japan (5–0), they needed a win over Singapore, which they secured 2–1. The team then played friendlies against Lebanon (lost 2–0) and Malaysia (1–1 draw). In February 2017, Otto Pfister was appointed as head coach. Afghanistan drew 1–1 with Vietnam in the qualifiers, but losses to Cambodia and Jordan ended their qualification hopes. In July 2018, the federation announced a friendly match against Palestine in Kabul—their first home game since 2013.^{[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]}

2020–present

Afghanistan against Philippines on 12 September 2023

The 2023 CAFA Nations Cup was the first edition of the CAFA Nations Cup, the biennial international men's football championship of Central Asia organized by the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA). The event was held in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan from 10 to 20 June.^[21] Afghanistan lost both games in Group B to Iran and Kyrgyzstan, thus finishing in last place in the tournament.

The 2025 CAFA Nations Cup was the second edition of the CAFA Nations Cup. The event was held in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan from 29 August to 8 September. Afghanistan was allocated in Group B and lost their first match against Iran. Their second match was against Tajikistan on 1 September, which ended in a 0–2 defeat. Afghanistan's third and final match in Group B was against India on 4 September, which ended in a 0–0 draw.

Kit suppliers

More information Kit manufacturer, Period ...

Kit manufacturer	Period
Adidas	2005–2008
Hummel	2009–2020
Jako	2020–2023
SIX5SIX	2024–present

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Supporters

Afghanistan's national football team has attracted significant public support during major fixtures. In August 2013, the team's friendly against Pakistan drew a sell-out crowd for the first international match held in Kabul in a decade, with reports describing the occasion as a rare display of national unity across the country's ethnic and political divisions.^[22][23] Later that year, Afghanistan's victory over India in the 2013 SAFF Championship final prompted widespread celebrations in Kabul and other parts of the country.^[24][25]

Rivalries

Pakistan vs Afghanistan at the 1976 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament

Afghanistan shares a sporting rivalry with Pakistan, which extends into football alongside other sports.

The national teams of Pakistan and Afghanistan first met at the 1976 Afghanistan Republic Day Festival Cup, where the A team of Afghanistan won by 1–0,^[26][23][27] with Mohammad Saber Rohparwar scoring the lone goal on a corner kick minutes before game's end.^[28][29][30] Because of rising tensions between the two countries in the 1970s, Afghan president Mohammad Daoud Khan handed each player 5,000 afghanis as a celebration and gift for their victory.^[31][32] Both teams met again at the 1976 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament the same year where Pakistan avenged by winning by the same score, with forward Afzal Qasim scoring the winning goal in the eighth minute after the kick off.^[33][34]

The ensuing civil war and political instability in Afghanistan prevented the two sides from meeting again until 2003.^[35] Due to the historical, cultural and political relationship between the two countries, contests between the teams generate much enthusiasm amongst football fans on account of their mutual relations and have been referred to as a "rivalry".^{[22][36][37][38]}

2025

Afghanistan  v  Syria

10 June 2025 (2025-06-10) 2027 Asian Cup qualification	Afghanistan	0–1	Syria	Hofuf, Saudi Arabia[note 1]
20:15 UTC+3		Report Report (AFC)	Omar Al Somah 6'	Stadium: Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Sport City Attendance: 532 Referee: Yousif Saeed Hasan (Iraq)

Iran  v  Afghanistan

29 August 2025 2025 CAFA Nations Cup	Iran	3–1	Afghanistan	Hisor, Tajikistan
17:00 UTC+5	Aliyari 26', 64' Hosseinzadeh 36'	GSA Report	Musawi 21'	Stadium: Hisor Central Stadium Attendance: 4,520 Referee: Sanzhar Zhakypbekov (Kyrgyzstan)

Afghanistan  v  Tajikistan

1 September 2025 2025 CAFA Nations Cup	Afghanistan	0–2	Tajikistan	Hisor, Tajikistan
20:30 UTC+5		GSA Report	Panjshanbe 24' (pen.) Mabatshoyev 90+3'	Stadium: Hisor Central Stadium Referee: Zayniddin Alimov (Kyrgyzstan)

Afghanistan  v  India

4 September 2025 2025 CAFA Nations Cup	Afghanistan	0–0	India	Hisor, Tajikistan
17:00 UTC+5		GSA Report		Stadium: Hisor Central Stadium Attendance: 1,100 Referee: Nurzatbek Abdıkadırov (Kyrgyzstan)

Pakistan  v  Afghanistan

9 October 2025 (2025-10-09) 2027 Asian Cup qualification	Pakistan	0–0	Afghanistan	Islamabad, Pakistan
14:00 UTC+5		Report Report (AFC)		Stadium: Jinnah Sports Stadium Attendance: 7,375 Referee: Mohammed Al-Shammari (Qatar)

Afghanistan  v  Pakistan

14 October 2025 (2025-10-14) 2027 Asian Cup qualification	Afghanistan	1–1	Pakistan	Farwaniya, Kuwait
18:00 UTC+3	Hanifi 5'	Report Report (AFC)	Hussain 29'	Stadium: Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah Stadium Attendance: 750 Referee: Abdullo Davlatov (Tajikistan)

2026

Afghanistan  v  Myanmar

26 March 2026 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Afghanistan	1–2	Myanmar	Yangon, Myanmar
17:00 UTC+6:30	Popalzay 10'	Report Report (AFC)	Than Paing 45' Khun Kyaw Zin Hein 73'	Stadium: Thuwunna Stadium Attendance: 1,760 Referee: Ngô Duy Lân (Vietnam)

Syria  v  Afghanistan

31 March 2026 (2026-03-31) 2027 Asian Cup qualification	Syria	5–1	Afghanistan	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
19:15 UTC+3	Al Salkhadi 5' Al Hallaq 54' Al Mustafa 58', 82' Al Aswad 90+1'	Report Report (AFC)	Panahi 23'	Stadium: Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium Attendance: 562 Referee: Nasrullo Kabirov (Tajikistan)

Maldives  v  Afghanistan

1 June 2026 Diamond Jubilee Football Tournament	Maldives	0–1	Afghanistan	Male, Maldives
21:00 MVT (20:30 AFT)		Report	Fazi 79'	Stadium: National Football Stadium Attendance: 1,028 Referee: Aditya Purkayastha (India)

Afghanistan  v  Bangladesh Olympic

4 June 2026 Diamond Jubilee Football Tournament	Afghanistan	0–0	Bangladesh Olympic	Male, Maldives
21:00 MVT (20:30 AFT)		Report		Stadium: National Stadium Referee: Senthilnathan Sekaran (India)

Pakistan  v  Afghanistan

7 June 2026 Diamond Jubilee Football Tournament	Pakistan	2–0	Afghanistan	Malé, Maldives
16:00 UTC+5:30	Nawaz 5' Hamid 90+2'	Report		Stadium: National Football Stadium Attendance: 450 Referee: Hussain Sinan (Maldives)

Pakistan  v  Afghanistan

10 June 2026 Final	Pakistan	2–0	Afghanistan	Malé, Maldives
21:00 UTC+5:30	Shayak 24' Hamid 90+4'	Report		Stadium: National Football Stadium Attendance: 273 Referee: Aditya Purkayastha (India)

Current coaching staff

More information Role, Name ...

Role	Name
Head coach	José Antonio Nogueira[39]
Assistant coach	Shabir Isoufi
Goalkeeping coach	Hamidullah Yousufzai
Equipment manager	Mahdi Shirzad
Team manager	Samir Homauni
Media manager	Mustafa Hashimi

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Managerial history

As of 30 August 2025

Caretaker managers are listed in italics.

More information Name, Period ...

Name	Period	P	W	D	L	Win %	Ref.
Sardar Mohammad Farooq Khan Seraj	1949						[40][41]
Unknown	1950–1974
Vladimir Salenko	1975–1976
Sergei Salnikov	1976–1977
Nikolai Yefimov	1977–1978
Islam Gul	1978–1979						[42]
Sayed Ahmad Zia Muzafari	1979–1981						[43]
Khwaja Aziz	1981–1987						[44]
Gennadi Sarychev	1987–1988
None[note 2]	1988–2003
Mir Ali Asghar Akbarzada	2003–2004
Mohammad Yousef Kargar	2004–2005
Klaus Stärk	2005–2008
Mohammad Yousef Kargar	2008–2014
Erich Rutemöller	2014–2015
Hossein Saleh	2015
Slaven Skeledžić	2015
Petar Šegrt	2015–2016
Anoush Dastgir	2016–2017
Otto Pfister	2017–2018
Anoush Dastgir	2018–2023
Abdullah Al Mutairi	2023
Ashley Westwood	2023–2024						[45]
Usmon Toshev	2024–2025
Vincenzo Alberto Annese	2025
José Antonio Nogueira	2026–

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Current squad

The following players were named in the squad for the 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament between 1–10 June 2026.

• Caps and goals are correct as of 10 June 2026, after the match against Pakistan.^[46]

More information No., Pos. ...

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Faisal Hamidi	(1997-01-29) 29 January 1997 (age 29)	16	0	Sorkh Poshan Herat
22	1GK	Ali Sina Hakimi	Unknown	0	0	Springvale White Eagles
23	1GK	Keyvan Mottaghian	(2003-03-16) 16 March 2003 (age 23)	3	0	Valenzuela PB–Mendiola
2	2DF	Nawid Mahbobi	(2008-02-18) 18 February 2008 (age 18)	3	0	Sorkh Poshan Herat
3	2DF	Amid Arezou	(1996-06-05) 5 June 1996 (age 30)	11	0	Gokulam Kerala
4	2DF	Mahboob Hanifi	(1996-03-22) 22 March 1996 (age 30)	27	1	Abu Muslim
5	2DF	Ahmad Shekib Mehri	(2006-12-02) 2 December 2006 (age 19)	5	0	Sorkh Poshan Herat
6	2DF	Habibulla Askar	(1999-08-09) 9 August 1999 (age 26)	14	0	Oskarshamns
12	2DF	Elias Mansor	(2006-11-17) 17 November 2006 (age 19)	7	0	Millwall
21	2DF	Ali Rayez Muradi	Unknown	2	0	West Adelaide
8	3MF	Rahmat Akbari	(2000-06-20) 20 June 2000 (age 26)	16	1	Queensland Lions
13	3MF	Hamed Mumand	(2002-07-14) 14 July 2002 (age 23)	1	0	FOC Farsta
14	3MF	Ali Reza Panahi	(2000-08-22) 22 August 2000 (age 25)	8	1	Abu Muslim
15	3MF	Amin Nabizada	(2007-06-21) 21 June 2007 (age 19)	3	0	Watford
16	3MF	Sahil Sarwari	(2009-02-22) 22 February 2009 (age 17)	2	0	Sorkh Poshan Herat
18	3MF	Jamshed Asekzai	(1997-10-09) 9 October 1997 (age 28)	12	1	IFK Trelleborg
19	3MF	Omid Popalzay	(1996-01-25) 25 January 1996 (age 30)	50	8	Persiraja Banda Aceh
20	3MF	Mustafa Omarkheil	(1999-04-05) 5 April 1999 (age 27)	4	0	Skjetten
7	4FW	Mosawer Ahadi	(2000-03-08) 8 March 2000 (age 26)	21	0	Abu Muslim
9	4FW	Roman Fazi	(1999-02-10) 10 February 1999 (age 27)	3	1	Asker
10	4FW	Omid Musawi	(2001-01-01) 1 January 2001 (age 25)	25	1	Penang
11	4FW	Maziar Kouhyar	(1997-09-30) 30 September 1997 (age 28)	21	0	Notts County
17	4FW	Yaser Safi	(2008-09-12) 12 September 2008 (age 17)	4	0	Sorkh Poshan Herat

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Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months and are still available for selection.

More information Pos., Player ...

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Eisa Azizi	(2002-12-26) 26 December 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Glenorchy Knights	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
DF	Sharif Mukhammad	(1989-02-15) 15 February 1989 (age 37)	31	2	SKA Rostov-na-Donu	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
DF	Roholla Iqbalzadeh	(1995-12-14) 14 December 1995 (age 30)	3	0	Boldklubben Heimdal	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
DF	Said Aref	(2003-07-07) 7 July 2003 (age 23)	1	0	Free agent	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
DF	Thomas Safari	(1996-05-14) 14 May 1996 (age 30)	1	0	AS Laval	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
MF	Zelfy Nazary	(1995-01-01) 1 January 1995 (age 31)	21	1	Abu Muslim	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
MF	Mohammad Naeem Rahimi	(1994-04-04) 4 April 1994 (age 32)	8	0	Bulleen Lions	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
MF	Yama Sherzad	(2001-06-19) 19 June 2001 (age 25)	5	0	Prishtina Bern	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
MF	Sayed Mortaza Fatemi	(1999-05-10) 10 May 1999 (age 27)	1	0	Malvern City	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
FW	Balal Arezou	(1988-12-29) 29 December 1988 (age 37)	28	9	Arendal	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
FW	Taufee Skandari	(1999-04-02) 2 April 1999 (age 27)	13	0	Abu Muslim	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
FW	Hossein Zamani	(2002-01-19) 19 January 2002 (age 24)	5	1	Zvijezda 09	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
FW	Habibullah Hotak	(2007-05-17) 17 May 2007 (age 19)	0	0	Abu Muslim	2025 CAFA Nations Cup
Notes INJ = Withdrew due to injury PRE = Preliminary squad RET = Retired from the national team SUS = Serving suspension WD = Withdrew due to non-injury related reasons

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Most appearances

Top goalscorers

FIFA World Cup

More information FIFA World Cup record, Qualification record ...

FIFA World Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Not a member of FIFA										Not a member of FIFA
1934
1938
1950	Did not enter										Did not enter
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006	Did not qualify										2	0	0	2	0	13
2010											2	0	0	2	1	5
2014											2	0	1	1	1	3
2018											8	3	0	5	8	24
2022											8	1	3	4	5	15
2026											8	3	2	3	5	14
2030	To be determined										To be determined
2034
Total	—	0/23	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		30	7	6	17	20	74

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AFC Asian Cup

More information AFC Asian Cup record, Qualification record ...

AFC Asian Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1956	Withdrew										Withdrew
1960	Did not enter										Did not enter
1964	Withdrew										Withdrew
1968	Did not enter										Did not enter
1972
1976	Did not qualify										6	0	1	5	3	18
1980											4	0	1	3	4	11
1984											4	0	1	3	1	20
1988	Did not enter										Did not enter
1992
1996
2000
2004	Did not qualify										2	1	0	1	2	5
2007	Did not enter										Did not enter
2011
2015	Did not qualify										AFC Challenge Cup
2019											14	4	3	7	15	34
2023											11	1	4	6	9	21
2027											12	3	4	5	7	18
Total	—	0/18	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		53	9	14	30	41	127

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Summer Olympics

More information Summer Olympics record, Year ...

Summer Olympics record
Year	Round	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1908	Did not enter
1912
1920
1924
1928
1936
1948	Preliminary round	18th	1	0	0	1	0	6	Squad
1952	Did not enter
1956	Withdrew
1960
1964	Did not enter
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992 to present	See Afghanistan national under-23 football team
Total	Preliminary round	1/17	0	0	0	0	0	0	—

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Asian Games

More information Asian Games record, Year ...

Asian Games record
Year	Round	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1951	Fourth place	4th	2	0	0	2	0	5	Squad
1954	Group stage	12th	2	0	0	2	4	12	Squad
1958	Did not enter
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002 to present	See Afghanistan national under-23 football team
Total	Fourth place	2/13	4	0	0	4	4	17	—

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AFC Challenge Cup (2006–2014)

More information AFC Challenge Cup record, Qualification record ...

AFC Challenge Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2006	Group stage	13th	3	0	2	1	3	5	Squad		Qualified automatically
2008	Group stage	8th	3	0	0	3	0	10	Squad		1st	2	1	1	0	1	0
2010	Withdrew										Withdrew
2012	Did not qualify										3rd	5	3	0	2	6	3
2014	Fourth place	4th	5	1	3	1	4	4	Squad		1st	3	2	1	0	3	1
Total	Fourth place	3/5	11	1	5	5	7	19	—		3/5	10	6	2	2	10	4

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CAFA Nations Cup

More information CAFA Nations Cup record, Year ...

CAFA Nations Cup record
Year	Round	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
2023	Group stage	7th	2	0	0	2	1	9	Squad
2025	Group stage	7th	3	0	1	2	1	5	Squad
Total	Group stage	1/1	5	0	1	4	2	14	—

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SAFF Championship (2003–2015)

More information SAFF Championship records, Year ...

SAFF Championship records
Year	Round	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
2003	Group stage	8th	3	0	0	3	0	6	Squad
2005	Group stage	6th	3	1	0	2	3	11	Squad
2008	Group stage	7th	3	0	2	1	5	7
2009	Group stage	7th	3	0	0	3	1	7	Squad
2011	Runners-up	2nd	5	3	1	1	13	7
2013	Champions	1st	5	4	1	0	9	1	Squad
2015	Runners-up	2nd	5	4	0	1	17	3	Squad
Total	1 Title	7/7	27	12	4	11	48	42	—

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• Afghanistan were members of the South Asian Football Federation between 2005 and 2015. As a result, they did not enter the competition between 1993 and 1999 and have not entered it since 2015.

Regional

• SAFF Championship
  • Champions (1): 2013
  • Runners-up (2): 2011, 2015
• South Asian Games
  • Silver Medal (1): 2010