Hong Kong left Afghanistan A stunned on Tuesday in their final group match of the ACC T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024, chasing down 132 with three balls to spare at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.

Despite Afghanistan A’s loss, they had already secured a spot in Friday’s semifinals.

The tournament began on October 18 and will run through until October 27 in Muscat, Oman.

Organized by the Asian Cricket Council, the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 involves eight teams, which have been divided into two groups of four teams each.

The tournament is staged in a T20 format for the first time since its inception in 2013.

Group A has Afghanistan A, Bangladesh A, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka A. Hosts Oman, arch-rivals India A, Pakistan A and the United Arab Emirates are clubbed in Group B.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 semi-finals.

The winner of Group A will face the runner-up in Group B in the first semi-final while the top-placed team in Group B will face the second-placed team in Group A in the other semi-final.

The winners of the two semi-finals will lock horns in the final on October 27.

Pakistan A won the previous edition of the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup after they defeated India A by 128 runs in the 2023 final in Colombo. Pakistan A also won the tournament previously in 2019.

Meanwhile, India A won the inaugural edition of the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in 2013 while Sri Lanka won the next two editions in 2017 and 2018.

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.

Afghanistan U17 national football team defeated the Philippines 8-0 in their first match of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers in Cambodia on Monday.

Afghanistan’s goals were scored by Waris Sherzai (2), Arash Ahmadi (2), Naweed Mahboobi (1), Yasir Safi (1), Jawad Ibrahimi (1) and Sahil Sarwari (1).

“It is a pleasure that the Afghan U17 claimed victory. Thanks to everyone who supports the national team. Congratulations to them. The Philippines is one of the strongest teams, but we managed to win the first game 8-0 without being hit any goal. They played very well,” said Ilyas Manochehr, the head coach of Afghanistan U17 team.

Afghanistan U17 are placed in Group B of the tournament along with hosts Cambodia, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Macau.

Afghanistan U17 will next face Macau on Wednesday.