Sport
Afghan refs make history after being selected for AFC Cup matches
The Afghan Football Federation has announced that Afghanistan’s Halim Agha Shirzad, an accredited international referee, has been selected as a referee for the B and C group stages of the AFC Cup matches in the West Asian region.
Nangiali Sadat has also been selected as an assistant referee for Group B and C matches.
The AFC Cup is the second official tournament after the AFC Champions League, which is played between the top clubs in the central, west and south of Asia.
The group matches will be held from May 21 to May 27 in Amman in Jordan.
Teams from Group B – Al Celt Jordan; Balata Center Palestine; Al Nasr Lebanon; and Moharraq Bahrain, along with Tishrin Syria, Al Faisali Jordan, and Al Sib Oman will compete, while Kuwait and Palestine (Group C) will also compete.
This is the first time Afghan referees will take part in Asia club tournaments – although Shirzad had been selected to participate last year. The tournament was however cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Sport
Argentina clinch futsal gold after defeating Portugal in Dakar 2026 final
Argentina claimed their first-ever men’s futsal gold medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Portugal in the final.
The closely contested match at Dakar Arena saw both teams enter the final with perfect records, having won all three of their group-stage matches. However, Argentina emerged victorious, with captain Lorenzo Sampedro scoring the decisive goal six minutes before the end of regular time.
Argentina’s triumph adds another chapter to the country’s Olympic football success, following the gold medals won by its men’s football team at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Argentina head coach Mariano Alberto Gomez praised his players for their performance, saying they had represented their country with pride after a lengthy preparation and participation in several tournaments.
Portugal’s Joao Carvalho expressed disappointment at missing out on gold but praised his team’s journey, saying the final was decided by small mistakes.
Earlier, Morocco secured the bronze medal after defeating Afghanistan 2-1 in the third-place playoff.
Afghanistan came close to forcing a late comeback, scoring with just 13 seconds remaining, but Morocco held on to secure third place.
Morocco coach Zakaria Kairi said winning an Olympic medal was a significant achievement for his young players, despite the team falling short of its original target of reaching the final and winning gold.
The results confirmed Argentina as futsal champions, Portugal as runners-up and Morocco in third place at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
Sport
Afghanistan falls just short of Bronze at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games
Afghanistan’s U18 national futsal team put up a determined fight but narrowly missed out on the bronze medal after suffering a 2–1 defeat against Morocco in the third-place match at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games on Thursday.
The young Afghan players showed great determination and fighting spirit throughout the contest. Morocco took the lead in the first half before doubling its advantage after the break.
Afghanistan refused to give up and fought back, pulling one goal back in the dying seconds of the match.
Despite a late push, the national side could not find an equalizer, as Morocco held on for a 2–1 victory to claim the bronze medal.
Afghanistan’s national youth futsal team competed in four matches at the tournament, making an impressive start with a commanding 5–0 victory over Panama in its opening group-stage fixture.
The young side then faced Argentina, losing 2–1, before suffering a 2–0 defeat against Portugal.
Despite missing out on a medal, Afghanistan’s young futsal players demonstrated determination, resilience and competitive spirit on the international stage.
Portugal and Argentina will face each other in the final to compete for the gold medal.
Sport
Abu Muslim Farah edge Arman FC with 1-0 victory in ACL match
Arman FC suffered a 1-0 defeat against Abu Muslim Farah in the 83rd match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Wednesday.
Abu Muslim Farah found the back of the net once in the first half, taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
Despite efforts from both sides in the second half, neither team managed to score, and the match ended in a 1-0 victory for Abu Muslim Farah.
Arman FC will face Kabul Istiqlal on November 15 in their final match of the competition, while Abu Muslim Farah will take on Toofan Herat on November 14.
All matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
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