Afghan footballers defeat Pakistan
Afghan footballers defeat Pakistan
Politics News Pakistan’s team is ranked 28 places underneath the home side Afghanistan is hosting its first international football match for 10 years with a friendly against rivals Pakistan that your two countries hope will ease tensions together. Oahu is the first-time the teams have met in Kabul for 30 years. Politics News The match will be billed as an indication of Afghanistan’s come back to normality after decades of war. It has ignited fierce patriotic passions on sides and will be watched by millions on live television. The BBC’s Karen Allen in Kabul says the friendly match is being seen as an deeply symbolic moment. Afghan and Pakistani political leaders result from meet for critical peace talks in a few days. Security will probably be tight in the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) 6,000-capacity stadium - with tickets expected to be sold out. “It shows that following a very hard period we have been time for normality,” AFF Secretary General Sayed Aghazada told FIFA.com. “Afghan football has improved with regards to organisation and infrastructure, and we now believe that football can enjoy a level bigger role inside our country.” Pakistan Football Federation Secretary General Ahmad Yar Khan Lodhi said he expected the sport is needed deepen the relationship between the two countries. Football wasn't banned through the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, but during their time in power they used that old Ghazi stadium in Kabul as a venue for executions, stonings and mutilations. Afghanistan is ranked 139th in the world. It last played in the home in 2003 in a match against Turkmenistan. Pakistan’s team is ranked 28 places beneath the home side and it has not played in Kabul since 1977. “The absolute goal of the game is to build good relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” said Afghan coach Yousuf Kargar, AFP news agency reports. “Winning or losing makes no difference for all of us.” |